A Firefly in the Pitch Black
by shadowglove
Summary: River and Kaylee end up on the ship that crashes on the monster-filled planet in Pitch Black. River must keep Kaylee safe, keep her identity secret from Johns, explore her attraction to Riddick, oh, yeah, and NOT get eaten in the process. River/Riddick
1. Unsettling Coincidences

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pitch Black or Firefly/Serenity.**

Spoilers for Serenity.

_I never really gave this pairing (River/Riddick) any thought until, by chance, I wondered onto a fic that centered on them and I got to thinking. What a perfect match, they are both more animalistic than human, both are killing machines, and somewhat unstable. What a great crossover couple! So I got back to reading Pitch Black fics (didn't like the Chronicles half as much) and this is my crossover fic. I hope you all like it and leave me a review to let me know how you feel about it._

* * *

River was used to being the one taken care of. During the year that Simon had rescued her from the Academy he'd never left her side, but not only had she been separated from Simon and the other crew of _Serenity_, but Kaylee and her had had to duck into the first ship they'd found--trying to avoid the Blue Hands and the Alliance--and before either girl knew what had happened they were in cryosleep.

And now, as River stretched and narrowed her eyes at the glare of the planet in which their ship had crashed, she knew that it was _her turn_ to care for the girl she suspected her brother had a future with.

It was a daunting challenge, especially since the planet whispered cries of pain and death in her ear. She shivered yet was glad that Kaylee hadn't noticed it, it wouldn't do to frighten the girl and tell her that this planet had just as many secrets as Miranda.

They'd only left the planet a month ago, and instead of a good vacation, they'd just barely escaped capture and survived a crash on a foreign, unknown planet.

"Capt'n will find us," Kaylee kept saying as she rubbed her arms. "Simon will find us."

River didn't acknowledge that, knowing that whatever she said wouldn't be reassuring. That was what Simon would do; he'd hold her close and tell her that everything was fine, that he would take care of her.

_Simon_…

Dark eyes fell on the disheveled survivors as her mind assessed them, immediately searching for potential dangers, as she'd been programmed to do.

There was a dark man who was dressed weirdly. She'd once seen another dressed this way in one of the ports, and when she'd asked why he dressed so oddly, Simon had explained that he was a Hoodoo holy man, so the young woman guessed that this man was a holy man as well, and the three young boys with him were his apprentices.

She didn't sense any danger from him and his charges, and proceeded to dismiss them from her mind immediately.

There was the Australian couple who looked lean and fit from obvious psychical work. The man looked a little iffy, but the woman had a hard glint in her eyes, the glint that said she wasn't only pretty and could kick some ass if she wanted to. But still, neither were strong or intelligent enough to worry River.

Her unwavering gaze rested on a shorter, skinny man with wire-framed glasses. Just the _thought_ of him lifting a rock, much less a gun, looked enough to hurt him and she shook her head with a smirk.

_Definitely no danger there_.

"Anyone else having breathing problems?" The tiny man asked in a strained voice. "Other than me?"

"I do." Kaylee spoke before she remembered that they were supposed to keep a low profile so that their risk of being identified as the crew of the notorious Serenity would be minimal.

"I feel like my lungs were bashed in." The young boy wheezed, proving that Kaylee and the other man weren't the only ones suffering.

"Too much pressure in the atmosphere…Not enough oxygen." River announced with such surety no one seemed to even think to question how she knew it, but they all looked uneasy at her words.

"We have enough oxygen to breathe with, that's what matters. And we'll be acclimatized in a couple of days." That was said by the blonde docking pilot that everyone were praising for having 'saved' them.

River scoffed and shook her head in disgust. If the people wanted someone to thank it should be the navigator who'd died. If it hadn't been for his intervention, this blonde would have killed them all to save herself.

While River had contempt for someone so ready to sacrifice the lives of others just to give herself a second more of life, River had no other problem with her. The blonde whom everyone had silently put as leader wasn't worth her attention for now.

There was, of course, the young boy that just struck River as odd. Something about the boy seemed _off_, but other than that he proved no imminent threat, so the young assassin shook off the questions in her head about him.

"Are you alright, ladies?" A handsome blonde, blue-eyed man asked, giving them a concerned smile.

Kaylee looked up at him and blushed slightly. "Y-Yes, thank you."

"The name's Johns, William J. Johns." He gave Kaylee a lopsided grin. "But everyone just calls me Johns."

"Kaywinnit Lee Frye." Giving him a smile, Kaylee shook his hand, oblivious to his blinking at her long name. "But everyone just calls me Kaylee."

Johns turned to River. "And what would your name be?"

She frowned at him, looking deep into those blue eyes and trying to read him, surprised when she couldn't. When the Academy had cut open her brain and taken away all her Amygdala, they'd created a reader and weapon so great they feared and wanted her all at the same time.

Usually voices and memories and people's thoughts plagued her, but Johns was horribly silent.

"She's River!" Kaylee hugged River's arm, smiling weakly, trying to distract Johns from her friend. "M—my cousin! River Frye!"

River heard Kaylee's worries at that the law enforcer would recognize River for who she was. The Alliance was still looking for her despite the fact that she'd already let out their biggest secret--that they'd created the cannibalistic Reavers while experimenting with the drug _Pax_ on the planet Miranda.

"Pleasure." Johns' smile was filled with charm…

…and River narrowed her eyes further at him.

Now _this one_ gave her the chills, just like the Blue Hands did.

_This one_ she was going to keep a good eye on.

"What were you two lovely young ladies doing on the ship?" Johns asked, giving River one long, piercing look before turning his smile on Kaylee.

"We have a grandmother we never met before." Kaylee hurriedly announced. "Apparently she died and left us an inheritance so we were going to see if there was anything we could collect." She smiled the smile that River knew captivated most men. "And you?"

Johns was silent for a moment before motioning them to follow him. "I was taking a convict to a maximum security slam."

River remembered the presence she'd felt, the purely animalistic scent that'd bathed her the moment she'd awoken after the crash, and silently allowed Kaylee to lead her to the crash site until they came upon _him_.

Kaylee gasped, obviously horrified to see a tall, muscular man cuffed to a pole, with a bit in his mouth and blindfolded. "That's _inhumane_!" she cried, turning to Johns.

The law enforcer shook his head. "Well, miss Frye, considering that he's an animal that doesn't matter." Seeing the tears in her eyes, he hurried on to explain. "That's Richard B. Riddick, the man's a serial killer--killed more innocents than one knows how to count. He's an animal and a monster, and already tried to escape once we crashed. I just barely got to him on time. It's thanks to _that_ that we will be able to sleep tonight without worry that he'll come back to the camp and slit all of our throats."

"No night for the weary, no shadow to cool from the heat." River said in a soft voice, eyes on this _Riddick_. "Hotter by three, each day swallowed by the next, time stands still and the brief passing of night is death."

Kaylee looked worried. Not only didn't she want Johns to realize that River could see things, but what River had just said sounded ominous.

Johns turned to look at River once more, silently, before chuckling. "Night is death? Are you afraid of the dark, Ms. Frye?"

Her dark eyes connected with his blue ones. "You should be."

He looked at her for a moment before cracking a smile and turning to Kaylee, asking something, but River didn't notice it. Her attention was once more on Riddick. He was listening to them, that much was obvious in the tension in his muscles and the way he tilted his head slightly in their direction.

When she tried to read him she came up against a mental wall, barring her from his thoughts. She was immediately impressed, never had she been flung out of someone's mind with such strength. Only someone with years of extensive training could have managed to do that.

It only added to the mystery that was _Richard B. Riddick_.

Going up towards him, River ignored Johns' call for her to get away from the prisoner, that he was dangerous. She slowly circled the man with his hands cuffed behind his back and around a pole of steel, assessing him, mind overloading with the threat and power he emitted.

Vaguely she realized that he followed her movement, sniffing slightly, as if trying to catch her scent.

That intrigued her.

He made a sound low in his throat that might have been a growl, but with the bit in his mouth River couldn't tell for sure.

In a movement that surprised even her, River's hands shot out and trailed over the hard muscles of his bound arms.

Instantly images assailed her.

"Destruction, horror, pain, screams." She whispered so softly she barely heard herself. "Babies in trashcans with their umbilical cords wrapped around their throats, they are in pain, suffocating, wanting to know why their lives are ending so cruelly when they should just be beginning to live."

The muscles beneath her tensed further, as more images and feelings entered her.

"Their last moments the fear and sadness is gone, replaced by anger, by fury." She paused before gasping the one word that'd been screamed at her throughout her entire vision. "_Furyan_." Pulling her hand away she moved back as Riddick threw himself at her viciously, yet was restrained by the handcuffs.

"I said _get away_." Johns grabbed her arm and jerked her away. "Caged animals are _not_ for little princesses to _play_ with."

She frowned at the hand he had on her. "I am not a princess and he is not an animal. He is a warrior."

"He's a _murderer_, darling." Johns let go of her, realizing that she wouldn't stop glaring at his skin against hers. "Come, let me lead you two ladies out of here." He turned his back on her and strode over to where Kaylee had been watching with trepidation.

River gave one look back at Riddick, who had calmed down yet was sniffing her once again. "There's a gap higher up that pole. Quite a foolish place to restrain a murderer. With one pop, he's free." She offered the information in a soft whisper before going to Kaylee's side and leaving the Furyan there to choose whether to believe her and act on her information or not.

* * *

Safe and hidden, Riddick frowned.

Who was the woman whose scent had captivated his animal, spoken things of his past which he'd never told anyone, and helped him escape?

She was all sorts of crazy, her speech told him that in itself, but he found it somewhat intriguing, considering that she'd practically predicted that he'd dislocate his shoulders and get free from the pole (_One pop and he's free)._

He watched from a safe distance as the other survivors mulled around. Johns, the blonde docking pilot, and two young women left the wreckage with what seemed like a very irate little man and…was that _booze_?

Riddick shook his head and continued to watch the women. He knew for a fact that the blonde _wasn't_ his little mystery girl—he'd heard her voice and it was nothing like the one whose voice gave him goose bumps of pleasure.

There was also another woman, but she was there with her lump of a husband, and he'd heard her accent. It sounded like one of the accents of people who'd used to live on Earth-That-Was.

So that left him with two alternatives…

…Two _very_ pretty alternatives.

One had dark honored curls and a bounce to her walk, despite the fact that she clung to her friend both protectively and seeking protection. The contrast intrigued him, especially since the other girl seemed so frail she couldn't defend herself from a horsefly.

His goggled eyes landed on the other girl, with midnight black hair, a long black dress that swayed in the breeze, and a walk so confident she seemed unaffected at the fact that they'd just survived a near fatal accident.

Riddick heard Johns sound the alarm when he discovered him gone, and the convict couldn't help but smirk as the blonde looked around him frantically, knowing that Riddick was there somewhere watching him, gloating.

The smirk disappeared though when Riddick returned his gaze to the girls and his eyes connected with the dark pools of the dark haired girl.

_She was looking right at him_!

IMPOSSIBLE!

And yet, not.

A small smile lit her face, before she turned away from him and spoke to her friend, who looked nervous yet doing her best to hide it.

His inner animal wanted to get closer to her, scent her again.

And not for the first time he was in complete agreement with it.

Just how to do it?

* * *

Sometimes having been experimented on proved a blessing, like it did now. While everyone else were faint of breath her lungs were capable of taking in whatever oxygen was present in the air and distributing it so evenly she didn't feel the chest aches and shortness of breaths the others felt.

After news of Riddick's escape leaked out, the passengers had gone into an uproar, all so terrified, their thoughts and worries screamed so loudly into her head River had had to leave the group until they'd calmed down or gotten busy collecting anything from the wreckage that could be used as weapons.

Of course, this effort had been led by William J. Johns, who at the end of the search took an inventory of what they had. His contribution to the 'Keep Ourselves Safe From Riddick' pile were a shotgun, a pistol and a baton.

Shazza and her husband Zeke offered up their pick-ax, digging tools and a hunting boomerang that River was just itching to get her hands on.

Iman pulled out a ceremonial blade, yet kept it with him at all times, letting them understand that he was protecting his students and himself.

River stood behind Frye and took a swig of the alcohol Paris had reluctantly contributed. Although she knew that it would dehydrate her more than she already was, the young assassin took yet another mouthful of the odd tasting liquid before passing it to Kaylee.

The dark haired girl couldn't help but look at the others and wonder if they really thought those weapons were going to be any good against Riddick. If he was half of what she'd sensed he was, then they were just playthings.

She knew she herself could easily disarm and disengage anyone who came at her with any of them, and she doubted that this Furyan in their midst was any different.

Sensing movement, she looked up and was the first to notice Paris straggling in with what she recognized to be antique curios.

Johns stole one from the skinny little man and looked at it with an eyebrow raised. "What the hell _are_ these?"

"Maratha crow-bill war-picks from northern India." The little man announced, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and taking the curio away from Johns carefully. "Very rare."

"An' this?" Zeke asked, pointing to another oddity.

"Blow-dart hunting stick from Papua New Guinea." Paris announced, slapping away the hand Zeke had placed on said hunting stick. "Very _very_ rare, since the tribe's extinct."

"'Cuz they couldn't hunt shit with these things, be my guess." Zeke announced dryly to his wife.

"Well, what's the need anyway?" Paris glared at the larger man before turning on Johns, obviously annoyed that no one was giving his rare and hard to acquire antiques the respect and awe they deserved. "If he's gone he's gone. Why should he bother us?"

"First, because he can only live out there for so long," Johns announced, eyeing his pistol thoughtfully. "He's gonna come back and take what we've got. Second, for the sheer thrill of the kill."

Kaylee whimpered and unconsciously moved closer to River, causing the thin girl to awkwardly place her hand around her shoulder like Simon did whenever comforting _her_.

It seemed to work, because Kaylee gave her a small smile, obviously feeling safer knowing that a weapon like River was taking care of her.

She ignored the fear of the others as they each reached for a weapon.

* * *

Johns, thankfully, had left them to go and stand on the ship, surveying the land and obviously trying to find Riddick. Both he and River knew that he wasn't going to see the assassin--he was too smart to allow that.

Kaylee had rapidly made friends with everyone who'd survived, introducing everyone to River by name. Apparently her outgoing, friendly personality had charmed everyone, and they seemed to consider River the 'shy one', so they didn't mind her lack of conversation.

While modifying breather units they'd found surprisingly enough intact in the wreckage, Shazza and Zeke told Kaylee stories about their homeland before it was destroyed and what their plans were once they arrived at their destination.

When the breather units were passed to those there, River took one because she'd read Kaylee's worried thoughts of how to explain to the others why River didn't need one if she was supposed to be 'normal', and the mechanic gave her a thankful smile when the assassin just took the mask and thanked Shazza.

Iman, the holy man, and his three students readied themselves to join the others in the search for both Riddick and water. Since the Chrislams didn't drink alcohol, the four of them were suffering from thirst and ready to face the heat of the planet to find some suitable liquid to quench their parched throats.

Docking pilot, Carolyn Fry (Kaylee had been excited, wondering if the blonde could be some distant relative of hers), arrived from scouting the lands, obviously not caring that a 'raging, bloodthirsty murderer' was on the loose. "There are two suns."

That caught everyone's attention.

"Huh?" Jack, the young boy, vocalized their silent question.

"An orange one and a yellow one."

"There's another, a blue one. I saw it while on top of the ship." Johns commented slowly as he joined them once more. "Three suns. No wonder there's hardly any oxygen in the air." His gaze slid to River. "That's _three_ times the normal heat."

"My bloody oath…" Shazza cursed, wiping at the sweat accumulating on her forehead.

"Well, I don't see him sneaking up on us during the night _now_." Zeke told Johns, who'd mentioned that worry more than once.

"'No night for the weary'…" Johns once again quoted River, his intense blue eyes on her.

"So much for my cocktail hour." Paris lamented.

Kaylee giggled at him, and even _River_ smiled slightly despite Johns attention fully on her. The short man was proving to be entertainment.

Like Zeke, Iman found the three suns a reason to be optimistic. "We take this to be a good sign," he proclaimed, hope shinning in his dark eyes. "A path, a direction from God. We will find what we seek."

"A _very_ good sign." Johns agreed, tearing his eyes off of River and instead looking in the direction of the blue sun. "That's Riddick's direction. You do _not_ wanna be caught in the dark with this guy."

A frown crossed Fry's face. "I thought you found his restraints over there." She pointed in the direction of which she spoke. "Towards sunset."

"I did." Johns nodded. "Which means he went towards sunrise."

"Okay then," Fry straightened, taking in a deep breath. "Let's go find the bastard."

Zeke stepped forwards. "What, you goin' off, too?"

River frowned. Normal people seemed quite dependant on those they saw as their leaders.

"Johns is leaving you a gun." The blonde gave him a comforting smile. "Just do me a favor, huh? Get my crewies buried? They were good guys who died bad."

Shazza stepped up and put a hand on her husband's shoulder, a smile on her face. "A'course we will."

"Thanks." Fry smiled at them before hurrying after Johns, Iman and his boys, who were already beginning their journey to find Riddick, and hopefully, water.

River watched them going with a frown, before turning and going back into the ship with Kaylee and Jack behind her. The mechanic had made friends with the young boy traveling on his own, and had taken to him like a mother.

The assassin watched their interactions and laughter with her head tilted to the side, wondering how it was that Kaylee could make friends of everyone. Was such happiness normal? Or was River just so messed up from the experiments forced upon her she was the odd one to not be so friendly and outgoing—not to care about the welfare of anyone other than the few whom she'd grown protective of?

Shazza appeared, pick in hand as if expecting Riddick to jump out at her from any corner yet confident she could take him on if she had to. "We've decided that while the others are out there should be a watch out to make sure that bastard doesn't sneak up on us while we're divided."

Kaylee looked up from where she'd been joking with Jack. "That sounds like a smart idea."

Shazza smiled thankfully. "Zeke's gone to burry the crew and Paris has decided to take the first watch."

"_Paris_ is our watch?" Jack asked, skepticism deep within his voice.

River snorted, looking at her dirty fingernails. "_That_ was _not_ a smart idea."

"River!" Kaylee cried out.

Shazza, surprisingly enough, snorted in laughter. "Aye, I dunnae think it is either, but _I'm_ keeping a watch on _Paris_."

Jack went out, mischief in his gaze, and River watched him go with interest, wondering what he planned on doing but shaking her head, realizing that she had more important things to worry about.

Something about the planet wasn't right. Like when on Miranda, voices seemed to call out to her, echoes of the dead cried out in pain, asking every deity to end their suffering, and for the first time in a long time, River felt in true danger. She'd taken the Reavers down without earning one scratch in the battle, but this planet gave her goose bumps.

The Alliance had had a hand in this planet as well. Like her, everything they'd ever touched had been destroyed. She could see the scars in the place as well as she could feel the scars in her brain from the many times it'd been cut up and stitched back together.

The ghosts of trees and flowers, the whispers of children's laughter and the heady scent that Kaylee and Simon made whenever they joined together filled her nostrils, haunted her, told her that this planet had once been alive, a thriving place with animals and humans.

But it was now dead and forgotten—just like Miranda.

The coincidences were too unnerving.

Shivering despite the heat, River closed her eyes tightly and wished that Simon was there. Her brother would know what to do. He was the sane one out them, the one who'd had a normal childhood, who could think coherently, who always found a way to help her.

He'd risked his life, left behind his wealth and his future to save her, and now, as River heard Kaylee giggling at something Shazza was saying, she took in a deep breath, promising herself to save Kaylee because without the girl, Simon wouldn't be happy. That would be her own way of paying Simon back for all he'd done for her.

Even if _she_ didn't make it off this planet alive, she'd make sure Kaylee did.

**

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**Well, hope you liked it and review! Reviews are my inspiration!**


	2. Moons, Dogs and Wolves

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pitch Black, or Firefly/Serenity.**

_Want to thank my reviewers: __dillon2, AMM3485, ForeveranADay, Glynnis007, emma134, LiasonFan2, vampirenav, peytonf, Birdy__ and __A Friend._

* * *

In the graveyard, Riddick had finished fashioning a shiv from one of the countless bones of the gigantic creatures that'd died there when he heard voices. He should have heard them before, but it was as if the bones were moaning in pain all around him, trying to say something, and they'd drowned out the other sounds.

That could have cost a lesser being on the run his life.

"Is this whole planet dead?" The captain asked, close by.

Riddick tilted his head towards her voice; they were close to him now.

One of the kids said something in rapid Arabic.

"He asks," the Holy Man explained. "What could have killed so many great things?"

Riddick could have added 'in such a violent way' to that sentence. He'd surveyed the titanic skeletons tinted by green lichen the moment he'd come across the graveyard, also trying to discover why gigantic creatures like these would fall in such great numbers and with such ease.

He'd discovered razor-like teeth marks slicing into the bones.

Carnivores.

So _something_ had felled these giant beasts by the thousands, and due to the discoloration of the bones--they'd all been killed around the same time.

That, coupled with the fact that the whole planet in itself seemed dead, didn't sit well with the murderer.

"Some…_communal graveyard, _perhaps." The Holy Man announced, yet there were many questions in his voice. "Like the Elephants of Earth-That-Was."

"Graveyards?" The captain was closer. "Or _killing fields_?"

Riddick smirked. She'd noticed the cut-marks, almost as if the bones had been hacked. She was beginning to redeem herself in his eyes.

"Long time ago." The voice of the Blue-Eyed Devil, Johns, was next to the captain and the Holy Man, causing Riddick to move back into the shadows by instinct. "Whatever happened."

Sensing movement coming towards him, Riddick pocketed the shiv he'd finished carving out of the bone and with a swift movement climbed up the skull of the creature he was in, hiding within the sinus cavity.

In seconds it would seem, one of the Chrislams appeared where he'd been only moments ago. The young boy looked around, obviously at ease and unaware that right above him lay certain death.

Riddick shook his head in disgust.

"Hey! What are you doing there?" Johns' annoyed voice heralded his coming, and the tall, blonde man glared at the young Chrislam. "I said no one goes on his own! Now _git_!"

The young boy hurried out.

Johns went as if to follow him before he noticed the bone-chippings piled on the ground from where Riddick had been fashioning his shiv. The blonde pulled out his weapon in the blink of an eye and double-checked the shadows, probing with the muzzle of his gun.

Riddick couldn't help but feel slightly insulted that Johns could think him capable of hiding in the most obvious of places.

Really.

After all this time chasing after Riddick, Johns should know him better by now.

Satisfied that his query wasn't there (Riddick kept back a snort), Johns left to join the others.

Waiting until he couldn't hear Johns anymore, Riddick dropped to the ground, his arms and hands now pierced with shards of boneyard ivory.

He wondered who else was with this little search party, and wondered if '_Lil' Crazy'_ (as he'd come to think of her in his mind) was amongst them. If so, he wondered what the chances were of his capturing her and having a nice little chat before someone noticed.

Spotting a shadow on the combing, he drew near, wondering who would have separated from the group knowing that he was alone. As he drew nearer he recognized Carolyn Fry, the pilot.

Mild disappointment filled him as he stalked her silently from behind.

Another figure joined the blonde, and it proved to be Johns. He took a hit of scotch and offered her some.

Riddick smirked, wondering how far he could go and not have Johns realize that he was there.

"Probably makes it worse." Fry announced, speaking about the bottle of scotch Johns offered her. "Dehydrates you even more." Yet she took it from him.

"Probably right." Johns announced in that laidback drawl of his.

They were silent, drinking away, never realizing he was right behind them, hidden in the skeleton. Fry, trying to escape the glare of the sun, leaned back against the combing bringing her within arms length of the predator behind.

Smirk growing dark, Riddick pulled out his freshly chiseled bone-shiv.

"You know, I woulda played road dog for these guys." Johns said in a measured tone. "You could've stayed back. Pro'bly should've--because, you know, if we _don't_ find water…"

_We may not make it back_, hung between them.

"No, no, I wanted to get away." Fry said a little too quickly for it not to sound suspicious.

"So I noticed." Johns snorted, taking the bottle from her and having another hit of the throat burning liquid. "Never seen a 'captain' quite so ready to leave her ship."

Riddick, bored with the conversation, eased his blade towards her neck.

As if sensing the danger behind her, Fry stepped away. "Better keep moving."

"What did Owens mean? 'Bout not touching the switch?"

Fry's body froze, like a rabbit cornered by a hungered fox. She turned and looked at Johns as if wondering if she could trust him, before leaning back against the combing _once again_.

Riddick couldn't help but find this all amusing. He was so close to the combing that they would be able to see him if they stopped their yapping and just _turned the fuck around_.

Johns, ever able to sense secrets, turned his 'charming' smile on the woman who obviously needed to talk. "Hey. You can tell me, Carolyn."

Riddick held back a snort. _We've crashed on this planet and he's trying to secure a fuck._

"Promise me." Her voice was soft, choking with emotion. "Swear to me you won't--."

"You see anybody else here?" Johns threw his hands up to emphasis how alone they were. "Just between you and me."

_And me…_Riddick smirked.

"During the landing…when things were at their worst…" It was obviously hard for her to get it out. "Owens was at his best. He's the one who wouldn't let the captain dump the passenger cabin."

Johns blinked, stunned. "_Are you shittin' me_?!"

Trying again, Riddick reached out with his shiv and deftly sliced off some of Fry's hair. He smirked and put it in his pocket to save for another time in which he could taunt Johns on how close he'd been and he hadn't known.

"So, now you know." Fry said in a soft voice, filled with self-recrimination, obviously waiting for Johns to scold her for what she'd have done if this _Owens_ person hadn't stopped her.

"_Fuck_." Johns ran a hand through his hair in silence before finally turning to her. "Guess I'm more glad to be here than I thought." He bent and placed the scotch bottle on the ground.

"I—the younger Frye girl, I—she—I think she knows." Fry said in a soft, surprisingly frightened, voice.

Hearing the name that Johns had called _Lil' Crazy_, Riddick sunk back into the shadows, too interested in learning more he didn't dare get caught.

"River?" Johns asked, unknowingly giving Riddick the name of the female who'd stayed in his mind despite his attempts to throw her presence out.

Fry nodded. "I don't think Kaylee knows, she thanked me like the others for 'saving' them." She hugged her arms as if she were cold, which they knew she could never be in this heat. "But River, when the others had dispersed, came up to me and said—said."

"What—what did she say?"

Riddick frowned. Why did Johns seem so interested in what the fragile little female had said to the pilot?

"She, it was so _confusing_ but I _know_ she knows."

"What did she _say_?" Johns repeated, sounding a little impatient.

"She said something like…" Fry looked up, meeting his gaze. "…'The prized canary sits in its golden cage, receiving praise for its enchanting song, famous and loved by all, yet the tiny bird looks away, a shadows in its eyes, for it knows of the record-player hidden beneath the table upon which its cage is placed'."

Riddick blinked. What was crazier--the sentence in itself or the fact that he understood what _Lil' Crazy_ had meant with it?

"I--I also wanted to get away from her, so when they decided to stay at the crash site--." Fry left her sentence to die.

Johns was silent for a long time, his eyes darkened before he looked up at he was the smiling blue-eyed devil that Riddick knew. "We should be going."

The murderer watched them as they walked away and then looked down at the bottle of scotch they'd left behind. It had one good swallow to it.

_Good one, Johns_.

Realizing a trap when he saw one, Riddick shook his head. Why did Johns keep underestimating him?

Waiting until he couldn't hear them, Riddick reached forwards and picked up the bottle, calculating how much scotch was in the bottle before throwing his head back and enjoying the first intake of liquid he'd had since the crash.

Quickly refilling the bottle with sand up to the point where it'd been filled with scotch moments before, he put it back and smirked.

In the distance, when Johns used his scope to check up on the bottle, the sand would make it look as if it hadn't been touched.

Shaking his head at the blonde, Riddick began his journey back towards the wreckage. He had one extremely pretty crazy girl he wanted to keep his eye on. There was something about that girl that was familiar, and she seemed to have just as many secrets as he. And although Riddick never cared about anyone other than himself, this girl intrigued him.

_River Frye_…

Wondering why that name sounded off, he left the boneyard.

* * *

"Tell me that was you," Paris glared at Jack as he hurried into the cargo-hold, gripping the war-pick in his hand so hard his knuckles were transparent.

From where he sat next to Kaylee, talking about what they would do once the others returned with water, Jack frowned. "Okay, it was me." He then made face. "What exactly am I confessing to?"

Apparently more than glad to put all the blame on the young boy's shoulders, Paris leaned against the wall. "Assailing my fragile sense of security, that's what."

Shazza stood from where she'd been going over the items they'd been able to salvage from the wreck. "What're you goin' on about?" She frowned. "He's been right here for the last--."

Then they all saw it: sunblades were momentarily blocked by something. Some_one_.

"_Zeke_?" Shazza called out in a soft probe, voice trembling slightly.

There was no answer.

River stood, frowning. She could hear the thoughts of their intruder, and they were jumbled into such incoherency it didn't sound like a known dialect. The words entered one into the other, and all she could make was pain.

Jack sprung up and hurried to the other side of the hold, placing an eye to the crack there. He'd been going there throughout their wait to check up on Zeke's progress because he could see where Shazza's husband had gone to bury the dead crew members and give her updates on his security--since none of them quite trusted Paris as a watch out.

Kaylee gulped from where she'd stood up slightly behind River. "Is--is he still out there burying the others?" She asked Jack in a soft whisper.

Jack turned, face pale as he nodded.

Kaylee gave a little jump when they noticed more sunblades being disturbed. "It has to be Riddick."

Paris went bloodless.

"The night wolf hasn't the scent of burnt flesh and death surrounding him." River turned to Kaylee, trying to comfort her with the realization that the person outside wasn't Riddick.

She failed to notice Shazza grab the war-prick out of Paris' frozen hands, moving cat-like towards the door and waiting there, ready to strike.

Jack gave River a confused look before valiantly going behind Shazza with the hunting boomerang in his hands.

River's worry was directed to Kaylee, whose round eyes were following the sunblades that winked on and off, charting the newcomer's approach. Hadn't the mechanic of _Serenity_ understood her when she'd said that the night wolf wasn't the one outside?

Suddenly _he_ appeared…

…And Shazza swung hard.

"_NO!_" Jack and Kaylee screamed at the same time.

Before them stood a total stranger, who was burnt, half naked, and one hand still clutching the emergency release lever of his cryo-locker.

Shazza had stopped one inch short of killing him.

River sensed Jack watching her silently.

"I thought…" The stranger's voice was harsh from lack of water. "My God, I thought I was the only one who--."

Pure joy at having found others filled his aura and he lurched towards Shazza, trying to embrace her. Suddenly there was a bang, and blood spurted over Shazza as the stranger fell bonelessly to the ground to reveal Zeke in the background, pistol leveled.

The other man looked up from the dead stranger on the ground to his wife's blood-spattered face, and reading the horror there he suddenly realized his mistake.

"Oh Lord…" Paris whispered, sounding like he was going to faint any minute now.

"It was just somebody else…" Jack whispered, eyes wide in shock. "From the crash. He was just…"

Kaylee turned to River and shocked her stiff by throwing herself into her arms, crying desperately, body shaking so violently she seemed to be about o fall apart.

River once more awkwardly placed her arms around the other girl, wishing that Simon was here to do this. Simon always hugged Kaylee and held her close, kissing the top of her hair and whispering words that always seemed to calm the sensitive other girl.

River wished she knew what Simon—or any other normal person—would say to Kaylee to try and calm her down.

"Cripes galore," Zeke's voice was closer to them than it had been moments ago. "I thought it was _him._ The murderin' ratbag. I thought it was…" He rushed towards the dead stranger.

_I see I've made them jumpy._

That _wasn't_ her thought.

Looking up, River's gaze connected with dark goggles in the background. Despite the fact that his eyes were hidden by the goggles she knew he was watching her, she felt the electric jolt that raced through her body and his.

Riddick picked up the breather unit Zeke had dropped when he'd hurried back to the hold, and before anyone else could realize he was there, disappeared.

River felt Kaylee's sobs lessened and decided that her first priority for Simon's _Bao-Bei_, so she pushed thoughts of Riddick, and the questions as to _why_ she'd felt a jolt of electricity when there clearly wasn't any around to the back of her mind, and concentrated on trying to make enough sense to help her friend.

* * *

They'd come upon an abandoned city, but while the others were busy looking around, and happy that they'd found water, Johns couldn't get River Frye out of his mind.

A mercenary, and _not_ a law enforcer as he'd led everyone to believe, Johns was good at remembering faces, and he was _sure_ he'd seen River Frye's face before.

But _where_?

He stayed next to the skiff Carolyn Fry had found, and kept an eye open for Riddick. The murderer was going to be his biggest paycheck yet--if he could stay alive and take the bastard to the prison waiting for him.

Fry exited the skiff. "No juice," she announced, coming towards him. "Looks like it's been laid up for years." She paused. "But we might be able to adapt--."

"Shut up." Hearing something, Johns cocked his air to the wind, waiting, before finally shrugging it off. "Sorry. Thought I heard something."

"Like what?" She obviously saw him as some ally and he would let her believe that for as long as he needed her around.

"Like my pistola." Johns announced before turning to her. "The elder Frye girl, Kaylee? I heard her telling the kid Jack that she was a mechanic on board some ship." He motioned with his chin towards the skiff. "If you need to 'adapt' anything, she's probably the one you want doing it."

Fry blinked. "That's good to know. The moment we get back to camp I'll take her aside and talk to her myself."

"You do that." Johns kept back a sly smile. _And while you're keeping her entertained I'll have a little chat with pretty lil' River and figure out where I know her from._

* * *

"We are visiting Miranda's sister," River announced in her soft, whimsical voice. "She doesn't like visitors and will soon set her dogs upon us."

Kaylee, the only one to hear her, looked up with wide eyes. She'd stopped crying some moments ago yet was still shaking. "_M-M-Miranda's sister_?" She hissed in a soft voice, once more blanching as she took an involuntary step towards her. "The Alliance has a hand in this _too_?"

River nodded. "The dogs were tame. Tiny Chihuahuas that were brought here and made into raging Great Danes which thirst for blood and wait in the belly of the sister."

Kaylee didn't know much about dogs, after Earth-That-Was was destroyed much of the animals had gone extinct. But she _did_ remember from some books that Chihuahuas were supposed to be small and Great Danes were—well—_great_.

But she couldn't bet her life on her interpretation of River's words.

She hardly ever understood what River said--Mal and Simon always used to, and she hated not having tried better before. River was obviously trying to tell her something important and she knew she was missing much of the graveness and importance.

She obviously got that the Alliance had come and experimented on this planet like they had with Miranda. But what had they made? Had they created the Cannibalistic Reavers from the unknowing citizens like on the planet that still gave Kaylee nightmares--or had they created something else?

How had River put it?

'Dogs that wait in the belly of the Sister'?

What did that _mean_?

_Simon_!

Kaylee sat back down and didn't notice River getting up and following Zeke out of the cargo hold as he left to bury the newest body.

The mechanic closed her eyes and tried to keep from shaking and crying. She was afraid and she missed everyone so badly. She missed _Serenity_, the ship was like her home, and she felt connected to it, felt as if it were truly alive and she knew it needed her just as much as she needed it.

Captain Malcolm Reynolds had become like an older brother to her. He took care of her, was protective when it came to Simon, making sure the Doctor treated her well and never looked down on her despite the fact that Simon and River came from up-to-do parents and Kaylee was just a lowly Mechanic—not that Simon would ever treat Kaylee badly. Mal was just protective that way.

Zoe and Jayne were also like family. They'd gotten together after Zoe's husband Wash had been killed on Miranda, but both were keeping their relationship secret and only Kaylee and River knew of the fact that they shared rooms at night--Kaylee because she'd caught them in the act and River, well, because River seemed to know _everything_ that happened on _Serenity_.

Inara was living off of the ship and on yet another planet. While Kaylee had always wished deep within her heart for her best friend and the man she loved as a brother to finally get together, the Companion wouldn't give up her job for Mal, and the Captain wouldn't give up _Serenity_ for Inara…

And _Simon_.

Kaylee closed her eyes tighter as she thought of Simon, her _Bao-Bei_--her sweetheart--the love of her life, the man who'd taught her more about love and passion than she could have ever guessed. He refined her and she helped roughen him up a bit so he wouldn't stand out so much in the crew. He wasn't the spoiled rich kid anymore with fancy clothes and a snotty attitude; he'd garnered respect from everyone in the crew and had become one of them.

As had River.

Kaylee sighed, thinking about the girl she considered her _Mei-Mei_. The child had had a horrible childhood, being experimented on and tortured by the Academy, and while she was still somewhat lunatic, she'd endeared herself to the crew of _Serenity_, and everyone knew that she would die to save them--she'd proven that when she'd locked them in safety on Miranda and went out to fight the crowd of Reavers by herself, unarmed…and somehow managed to survive the fight without a scratch.

While Kaylee worried about the others and if the Alliance had caught them, she also worried about herself, but not by much. River was the greatest secret of the Alliance, she was the deadliest weapon ever created…and Kaylee knew River would never let anything hurt her.

Chihuahua nor Great Dane.

Suddenly remembering something, Kaylee's eyes fly open and she looked around, praying to Buddha that it hadn't been damaged. Shazza, Paris and Jack were busy elsewhere, and so she took off her boot and undid the heel, pulling out a little chip-like device embedded within.

_Please—O—please—O—please work!_

Pressing the end of it and flipping a little switch, Kaylee nearly squealed when a light appeared at the base, flickering.

It was working!

Hurriedly putting the tracking device into the faux heel, screwing it back on, Kaylee grinned broadly, thanking Simon silently for having thought of having them all imbedded with tracking devices so that if they were lost or taken, the others could find their location.

_We're going to be found, and everything's going to be alright._

The sounds of shots and screams jarred her from her optimistic thought.

* * *

There'd been silence when River and Zeke went to bury the other body. While she knew that he didn't need her help, the thoughts of those in the hold were loud and hurt her, so she'd decided to come out here and get away from them before she had a 'crazy attack' as Jayne oh-so delicately liked to put it.

The sun-tarp had fallen on one side since Zeke had erected it earlier, and now blocked the sight-line between the ship and the grave sight.

For some reason that made River a little uncomfortable.

Zeke lifted the tarp only to find that the bodies were gone and there was some sort of opening in the back of the grave. River knew this was odd, but the only thoughts she picked up were Zeke's guilt-filled ones, so even though the hairs of her arms stood on end she didn't say anything as Zeke hopped down into the grave.

"What the bloody hell…?" He asked, dropping to all fours and looking into the tunnel. "It's like some kind of _burrow_." Taking the hand-light off of his belt, he shone it into the tunnel.

River, sensing a presence, looked up and turned towards the spires, immediately finding the muscular figure hiding there.

_Riddick_.

His goggled gaze was once more upon her, and River tilted her head to the side as she realized that the heat she felt raking her body was the intensity of his stare.

She didn't understand why her heart beat faster, and why her breaths were coming unevenly. This had never happened to her before at the Academy, was something wrong with her? Was she coming apart?

What was this sensation in the pit of her stomach?

It was as if a coil was tightening in her stomach, and it became agonizingly pleasurable when the man smirked at her.

Suddenly voices screamed in her mind painfully and she bent. Holding her head between her hands she screamed out right before Zeke's scream joined hers and shots were heard being fired.

Forcing herself to take her hands from her head, River turned to see Zeke half within the tunnel, fighting for his life, blood spurting everywhere.

Jumping into the grave River grabbed hold of his leg and tried pulling him out, yet something within the tunnel was pulling him as well, and was stronger than her, pulling her in as well.

The moment half of her body was within the darkness, she screamed a teeth cut into her flesh and creatures jumped on her, cutting her. She fought, grabbing one that jumped at her with its fanged mouth wide open.

Her hands had the creature by the open jaws, teeth digging painfully into her fingers. Ignoring the pain, she forced all her strength into her hold and tore the jaws apart, killing the creature instantly. The other creatures screeched and backed away slightly, obviously confused.

She couldn't hear Zeke anymore.

Right as the creatures were about to attack once more she screamed when something grabbed a hold of her ankle and with a strong, swift movement had pulled her out of the tunnel and back into the sunlit grave.

River was shivering, shaking, and barely noticed when Riddick picked her up and pulled them out of the grave up to the land in time for Shazza to see them and scream.

"Stop the voices, stop them from screaming, stop them from hungering." She begged Riddick, who looked like he wanted to run but stayed there with her as she had a death grip on his arm. "They have death on their breath and the night in their eyes as they prey in the black. They are vicious lions in their den waiting for Daniel to be thrown down to them."

"Girl," it was the first time she'd heard his voice, and it sent unexpected shivers down her body. "You're all sorts of crazy, aren't you?"

"WHERE'S ZEKE?" Shazza screamed, backed by Jack, Paris and Kaylee, who'd just arrived. She looked at River's scratched, bloody body. "What have you _done_ with 'em? You bloody sick animal you, what'dja do with me _Zeke_?!" She raised the war-pick menacingly.

Riddick rose and since River was still in his arms bridal style, he lifted her as well.

"No, no, the wolf didn't redden the moon, it was the dogs." River trembled as she spoke. "The wolf sunk his jaws into the girl and pulled her from the clutches of Grim before she reddened the moon further!"

"What the bloody hell is she rambling on about?" Paris asked no one in particular. "There's no bloody _moon_!"

Shazza took a step towards them.

"No!" Kaylee hurried forwards, eyeing Riddick fearfully yet trusting River. "She—she's saying that Riddick didn't do it, that something down in the grave killed Zeke and would have killed her too if Riddick hadn't pulled her out."

Jack blinked.

Shazza stalked to the tarp and pulled it apart, looking down at the bloody tunnel and collapsed on the sand. "_Zeke_…" All fierceness left her as she burst into heart-broken tears.

There was the sound of a pistol being cocked. "Same crap, different planet, huh?" Johns asked, apparently appearing out of nowhere, pistol pointed on Riddick. "Put her _down_, Riddick. You've done enough."

"It wasn't the wolf!" River tried once more, blood pouring from her shredded hands.

Johns looked at her as if trying to get what she was talking about.

River turned her gaze to Kaylee in frustration, pleading with her to intervene.

Kaylee nodded and gave Johns a shaky version of her 'Kaylee Smile', the smile that made men go brainless and do whatever it was she asked them. "J-Johns, Riddick saved her. There's something else down there."

"The only monster I see is holding that little girl." Johns declared, yet he shot an anxious look at the grave and the blood there. "Now Riddick, I want you to lower that girl and come nice and easy with us to the ship so we can question you."

Riddick snorted at him before beginning a leisurely pace back towards the shuttle, still holding a shaking River, obviously defying Johns as much as he could.

River closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the night wolf, wondering about her body's chemical reaction to him and if it were normal.

Deciding to ask Kaylee if she knew what this might mean, she spent the rest of the walk to the ship in silence, looking up at her rescuer and imprinting his scent into her mind.

* * *

**I HATE the part where Shazza and Johns both take turns at Riddick and beat him in the movie, so I decided to change it. NO WAY was I going to let them do that in this fic!**

**Okay, well, I'm sick with the virus so how about a review, huh?**


	3. Deals with Devils

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Black or Serenity/Firefly.**

_Wanna thank my reviewers: __**Mahone-chic-89, vampirenav, LiasonFan2, A1kyndria, AMM3485, Birdy, Glynnis007, MissBe, A Friend**__ and __**dragonmamma**_

_A Friend:_ The only River/Riddick story I can think of right now is _**What Darkness Brings**_ by SarcasticWitch, but I remember there _was_ another one, just can't remember the name right now.

* * *

Being Simon's girlfriend had taught Kaylee the basics of medicine, and she used all her knowledge to patch up River once they'd gotten back to camp and Riddick, _the murderer_, had finally let go of his grip on her and allowed Johns to take him to the 'detainment facility' as Johns had decided to call the little room where he'd been keeping him chained up.

Kaylee's insides turned viciously as she got a better view of the cuts and obvious bite marks scarring River's body, and the holes in her hands from where the teeth of whatever it was she'd fended off had sunken into her flesh.

Kaylee's gaze went around them as she bandaged River's hand, trying to stop the blood from flowing. While River had been biometrically enhanced to heal quicker than the average human, she still feared that the girl would bleed to death before her body could do its work.

Everyone was in an uproar, and they'd dismissed River's ramblings as the words of a child in shock. They didn't realize, of course, that River _always_ talked like that--she'd hardly spoken after the crash. So while there was proof that something other than Riddick could be the cause of Zeke's death and River's injuries, they stubbornly wanted to put the blame on the murderer.

All except Shazza and Iman.

Maybe it was the fact that she was Zeke's wife and knew that he wouldn't go so easily and his body couldn't have just _disappeared_ as it had, and maybe she'd realized that when Riddick had held River it hadn't been like a predator his prey--whatever it was, Shazza believed River's version of the story.

Iman and his Chrislam students had listened to River ramble on and on once Fry and them had arrived, and the Holy Man said that in their Holy Book it spoke of devils that lived within the bowels of the earth, so her words could very well be true.

Paris, Fry and Johns were another story all-together though. They were all only too happy to lay the blame on Riddick, obviously the fear of _something else_ out there was just too much for them to handle.

Paris huddled next to Jack, as if the young boy could defend him.

Fry was arguing with Johns, who'd just come from 'questioning' Riddick.

Making sure that everyone else were occupied, she turned her attention on the silent girl before her. "Was it the Great Danes?"

River looked up and nodded silently.

Kaylee's stomach clenched. "Why didn't they come out and continue their attack when Riddick got you out of their burrow?"

"Bats hide from the sun."

Kaylee finished the bandaging and sat back. "They don't like the sun?" She smiled when River nodded once more. "That's great! Fry said that they found an abandoned village and that a machine there showed that the suns never set!"

"The suns cannot stay up forever, Kaylee, they would be tired and slowly fade away." River whispered, hugging her knees to her chest. "The village didn't decide to just swallow the people whose pain cries in my ears and nips at my fingertips."

Kaylee's smile disappeared. "You're saying that during a certain time the suns _will_ set?"

River nodded.

"When?" Kaylee placed her hands on River's shoulders. "Do you know _when_ the suns will set next?"

River's large, dark eyes connected with hers. "I hear them yawning in the heavens."

Kaylee's blood ran cold. "I wish Simon were here." She pulled away, hugging herself. "He'd know what to do—and he'd tend to you better. He's a doctor."

"My brother is afraid." River admitted. "I feel his fear and worry for us. I am his stars and you are his sun, except you will never set or fade away. You are his light, and if his sun doesn't shine, he fades into black, as do the stars who depend on the moon."

Kaylee smiled at the poetic words. "So Simon's the moon?" Her smile grew even larger despite the tears in her eyes. "Oh _River_, those were such beautiful words. _Thank you_."

River looked up at her in surprise. "I speak no beauty, only truth."

"And that's what makes it so much more beautiful." Carefully hugging the other girl, making sure not to hurt her more than she was, Kaylee wiped at her own tears when she finally pulled away. "I know you're Simon's _Mei-Mei_, but I want you to know that I never want to take him from you. He's the only family you have, and I'd _never_ separate you two, I just want you to be _my_ sister as well so the _three_ of us can be a family."

River tilted her head in silence, just watching Kaylee. "I need not read the sincerity in your aura, but you are wrong." Her voice was soft, as was the smile on her face. "Serenity is my family, she is my mother, and her children are my brothers and sisters. You _are_ my _Mei-Mei_."

Despite having strictly ordered herself not to cry, new tears fell. She'd needed that acceptance from River to be able to truly give herself to Simon without any guilt. "Thank you, _Mei-Mei_."

River gave her one of her rare, truly breathtaking smiles before it turned to a frown and she looked passed Kaylee to Shazza, who sat on the floor by herself, looking at the war-pick in her hands. "Her aura is black and her thoughts scream painfully at me. She misses him and wants to join him."

Kaylee frowned and took a look behind her at the nearly catatonic woman before returning her attention to her friend. "Suicide?"

River nodded severely. "Speak with her and quiet her thoughts."

Kaylee nodded and got up, brushing off the back of her overalls, heading towards the silent woman and sitting down next to her.

* * *

River slipped away from the others and into the room where they were keeping the creature Riddick chained to the wall. She frowned as she saw this. Riddick was not a creature in a zoo to be kept locked up and away from the others, he was a creature of the wilderness, which needed to be free.

She was surprised that his goggles were gone…but his eyes were closed.

"I see you got passed them." His voice was dark and husky.

River jumped slightly in surprise, unable to understand how he'd heard her. After the attack she'd taken off her boots and returned to walking around barefoot, so she could be in contact with the planet and could now feel the vibrations of the creatures beneath the surface.

Going shoeless also made her light footsteps impossible to hear.

And yet he'd known she was there.

"Come to tell me of another gap?" He asked, giving a discreet sniff in her direction.

River blinked.

He knew her scent.

_That_ was how he'd known she was in the room.

"The fox knows better than to underestimate the night wolf once again." She spoke as she went to him and sat down next to his feet. "There will be no salvation unless he pulls the silver from his pocket."

There was a dark chuckle as he tilted his head downwards towards her voice. "You always talk crazy?"

"Affirmative." Having heard Jayne call her 'moonbrain' and '_feng le_ girl' since he'd met her, her sensitivity to being called 'crazy' had died a tragic death. "Once I was to be a prima ballerina, yet now the only dance I know the steps of is death."

There was silence as he continued to tilt his head towards her. He suddenly turned away. "Yeah, well, you could say that's the only dance I know too."

She smiled, enjoying the feeling that he understood her. "This girl wants to thank you for saving her life when the Grim touched her skin and made her bleed."

Riddick never got the chance to answer because Fry appeared that very moment, the sound of her boots against the metal of the floor giving away her presence immediately--as did her contradictory thoughts.

"River?" Fry asked, slightly uncomfortable yet worried for her. "What are you doing here? He's dangerous."

"Wolves run in a pack." River answered solemnly, hugging her knees to her chest and taking her gaze from Riddick rested it on Fry, who seemed to be genuinely worried for her. "Even the solitary wolf will join or make one of his own, and to his pack be true."

Fry frowned softly, looking from River to Riddick and back again. "Wolves were honorable creatures, River."

"Honor comes in different manner shapes, sizes and tastes." The younger woman responded. "And one is always given the opportunity to redeem ones self."

And both women knew she wasn't talking about Riddick.

Fry's eyes watered slightly before she cleared her throat and nodded to River, turning her eyes on Riddick. "So, where is he?"

Riddick remained silent.

Fry breathed out a breath of impatience before trying once more. "Tell me about the sounds." She took a step closer towards them. "You told Johns you heard something when River was being attacked."

Riddick still refused to answer.

Fry closed her eyes in an attempt to control her temper and ran shaky fingers through her hair. "If you don't talk to me, Johns'll take another crack at it—at your skull, and while I don't like you myself, if what River says is true, then we're going to need to be prepared and need every hand we can get."

"The stars shine brightly down, shine brightly right before the storm, yet those who watch cannot hear their warning, they need a soothsayer to interpret."

Fry turned her confused frown on River.

Riddick smirked as he turned his head towards the dark haired woman-child next to him. "She said that she's been trying to tell you but you just don't understand. She wants me to tell you about the whispers."

"What whispers?" Fry asked, frown deepening in belief.

"The ones tellin' me to go for the sweet spot --just left of the spine, fourth lumbar down." Riddick's smile was that of the Grim when death was assured. "The abdominal aorta. What a gusher. Had a cup on his belt, so I used it to catch a little run-off. Metallic taste to it, human blood. Coppery. But if you cut it with peppermint schnapps, that goes away." He smirked at the disgusted look on Fry's face. "Course, that's more for winter. Summertime, I take mine straight."

River shook her head at the black satisfaction Riddick got from his role as the Boogeyman. She knew that he'd decided that if fear was the only kind of respect he was going to get, he was going to grab some with both hands, but this was not the time to frighten them away.

She turned to Fry. "The night feeds on fear and it amuses him."

"Thank you." Surprisingly enough, Fry understood her and turned to glare at Riddick for playing her as a fool. "Why don't we try the truth now?"

Riddick shook his head with dark amusement. "All of you people are so scared of me--an' most days, I'd take that as a compliment--but it ain't _me_ you gotta worry about now."

Fry gulped and turned to River. "The '_dogs'_?" She asked, referring to the name River had given the creatures.

The younger woman nodded.

Taking in a deep, calming breath, Fry turned her suspicious gaze on Riddick. "Show me your eyes."

Riddick paused.

"The eyes are the windows of ones soul." River quoted something Sheppard Book had once told her before his death at the hands of the Alliance's Operative.

Riddick snorted, yet it sounded amused.

"_Show me_, Riddick." Fry ordered.

Riddick was silent, his eyes closed tighter.

Noticing his muscles tensing as if in anticipation of pain, River tilted her head to the side in curiosity as she stood in a movement so swift it startled both Fry and Riddick—although the latter hid his well.

She was so close to him, could smell the feral, animalistic scent that he gave off, that was purely _Riddick_. It soothed a part of her that was always in fear, always on the alert. The young woman didn't hear Fry telling her to back off, that Riddick was dangerous; she didn't even notice that they were standing in front of each other with only a breath between them.

Once again her fingers made contact with the muscles of his arm, and those eyes flew open, startling her as they connected with hers so violently she forgot to breathe.

Her night wolf had no irises, just huge, black-pool pupils, and from within there was a jewel-like shine.

"_Starlight_." She whispered softly, trailing her fingers up his arm and neck, up against his cheekbone to his forehead and down the bridge of his strong nose, all the while her eyes never left his. They were as beautiful and unsettling as a starved jaguar, and the look he was giving her seemed hungry and feral, yet she had no fear. It was as the stare of a wolf in the wilderness, watching her as prey yet not to kill.

Confusion as to _what_ the heat between them meant caused her to remove her fingers from his face and take a step backwards, listening to the rapid beats of her heart and determined to have a serious conversation with Kaylee as to the meaning of this.

"You did this?" Fry's soft voice cut into the moment, breaking the invisible thread that kept River's gaze fixed solely on Riddick's. "To yourself?"

River turned her back on Riddick and suddenly spied his goggles, where Johns must have left them after taking them off.

Riddick's voice was tense when he finally answered Fry. "Fairly fuckin' ironic, wouldn't you say?" He made a sound of displeasure deep within his throat. "Slamlight's so dim that you go and get your eyeballs taken out and shined up--then you wind up here. Three ass-kick suns."

Grasping the goggles, River returned to the captive and kept her attention on the task of returning them over his eyes, feeling his gaze suddenly return completely to her, the return of the scorching heat between them, and when she stood on her tip-toes to fix the goggles completely, she felt him nuzzle her hair discreetly, taking in another whiff of her scent.

Blush covering her face, River quickly backed away once the job was done and touched a hand to her burning face, wondering why her body seemed to be overheating.

Riddick smirked at her and then turned to Fry. "Maybe I did do a few people. But not this one. Not this time." He paused. "I would have killed _Lil' Crazy_ too if it'd been me."

Fry glared at him. "Don't call her that!"

While River was used to being called crazy, she was still shocked and surprised that Fry would defend her.

The blonde took in a deep breath before trying once more. "If you didn't kill Zeke, where is he? He's not in the hole. We looked."

Riddick shook his head in derision. "Look _deeper_."

"And beware of the dogs." River whispered, gaze falling to her bandaged hands. Already she could feel them halfway healed, yet the memory of those jaws coming at her head caused her to go pale and wince.

Fry looked at both of them before giving River a nod and storming out.

The dark haired young woman turned to Riddick. "They will go to the burrow." She told him. "She doesn't want to believe, but she will."

He watched her through his goggles in silent intensity. "_Come here_." His voice was dark velvet as it caressed her skin, promising her so many things she couldn't rightly understand.

"I--I--." Not understanding what he truly wanted nor why she craved it, River gave up the battle, turned tail, and ran.

* * *

"I don't know what the _hell_ is down there, but it _ain't DOGS_!" Fry announced as she, Johns, Iman, Shazza and Jack returned from their investigation of the burrow in which Zeke's life had been taken.

Kaylee looked up from a now sleeping River. The girl had come distressed to her some hours ago wondering if her 'system' wasn't 'shutting down' or at least 'overheating' into 'malfunction'. The mechanic had asked her friend to explain _why_ she was frightened and _why_ she thought she might be 'malfunctioning', and when the younger girl had told her in her own way, Kaylee had been glad for the first time since the separation that Simon wasn't there with them.

He'd have gone insane.

Of all the men River could have found herself attracted to, it just had to have been a sadistic, cold-blooded _murderer_.

It'd taken an hour or two to explain the laws of attraction to a wide-eyed, childlike River, and while Kaylee wished that she could just tell River to 'ignore it', as Simon would have in this situation, Kaylee couldn't bring herself to do it.

The Academy had stripped everything from River, forcing her mind to be like that of a child, and the fact that River was now showing sexual attraction only proved what Simon had been hoping--she was overcoming their programming and becoming as normal as she could.

And Kaylee wasn't going to hinder her growth into the woman she would be just because her first attraction was for someone completely unsuitable for her.

Once they were found, Riddick and the others would go their way and River and Kaylee would return with their family. And, hopefully, River would find someone _acceptable_ to have an attraction for and be with.

Not that there were a lot of choices lately on _Serenity_ for her, the only single male just so happened to be the Captain.

Kaylee frowned at that thought. Sure, River was getting closer and closer to Mal each day, and he'd grown even more protective of her than he was of Kaylee herself, but, the _Capt'n_?

Shaking her head, Kaylee returned her attention to Fry. "What happened, what did you guys find?"

Shazza looked at Kaylee and shivered. While she was doing a lot better after their conversation, she'd still had a haunted look in her eyes when she'd left with the others. Now, that look was replaced with fury. "We found whatever killed _me_ Zeke living under the earth."

"And the spires are hollow." Jack let everyone know as if this was a vital point.

Johns had a large frown on his face. Obviously he hated having to admit that Riddick had been right.

Fry turned to Kaylee and her face softened slightly when it fell on a sleeping River, but she returned her attention to the elder Frye. "Remember that thing I asked if you could do for me?"

"The adapting?" Kaylee asked, frowning.

Fry nodded curtly. "I need you to do it sooner than before. We're moving out. Those things only come out in the dark and according to the chart in the abandoned town, we'll soon be experiencing a solar eclipse."

Kaylee's heart froze, remembering River's comment about the suns yawning.

"What are we going to do about Riddick?" Paris asked. He'd returned from where he was keeping his stash in time to hear what Fry had to say.

"We do _nothing_ about Riddick." Johns snapped out.

Shazza turned a glare in his direction. "Riddick didn't kill Zeke, and believe me, while I don't like the ratbag scum, I think we'll need as many able hands on a weapon as we can get if the eclipse catches us unready!"

Johns glared at her, yet seemed to be considering what she said. With a curse, he turned around and stalked away.

"Everyone," Fry immediately took control of the situation. "Pack only the essentials. We're moving to the abandoned town, fixing the skiff, and getting the hell outta this planet before we become dog meat." She turned to Iman. "I need your help to get the battery cells from the ship's power bay."

Iman nodded and followed her out.

Everyone hurried to do what they must, and Kaylee turned to a still sleeping River with a sigh, she hadn't seen the girl rest in a while and really didn't want to wake her up as yet. River had also told her that when she was healing her body would sometimes put her into somewhat of a self-induced coma to make the healing process quicker.

"Let her sleep for a while longer."

Looking up, Kaylee was surprised to see Shazza. "Huh?"

"She's injured." Shazza pointed out. "Let her sleep a while longer and get her strength up. We'll all need our strengths."

Kaylee smiled her thanks and got up, giving a sleeping River another smile before hurriedly going to help the others.

* * *

Riddick liked to be alone, he _liked_ having time to think, but right now, he didn't _want_ to be alone. He wanted _her_ there with him and he wanted to be unchained. There were _so_ many things he could have done unchained to pass the time.

Tilting his head to the side, the murderer thought back to the reaction the animal within him experienced when she touched him, when it'd been able to look at her without the shield the goggles provided.

It'd liked what it'd seen, touched, smelt, and it'd wanted _more_.

What was it about that waif of a girl that he found so _tempting_? That made him hard with desire unlike anything he'd ever experienced?

A shadow fell on him but he didn't look up, knowing who it was by the stench of cheap cologne and sweat. "Found something worse than me, huh?"

"We're movin'." Johns announced, hooking his thumbs in his belt. "And I'm just wondering if I shouldn't lighten the load right now."

What a coward. _How_ had he gotten caught by the fucker again?

He raised his gaze and met Johns' full on, letting him know that nothing the blonde could do could frighten or intimidate him. Johns ratcheted his shotgun and aimed it at Riddick's head.

"Woof, woof." Riddick mocked, defiant to the very end.

The shotgun exploded, but despite the fact that he was now partially deaf from the magnitude of the sound, Riddick was alive and well. The shotgun had discharged next to his head and blew off his wrist chains.

"Want you to remember this moment, Riddick." Johns announced, in his superior-than-thou voice. "The way it coulda gone and didn't."

His ears were ringing and he was still partially deaf, not to mention thoroughly confused. "Say that again."

"Here's the deal," A muscle in Johns' cheek jumped. "You work without the chains, without the bit--without the shivs." He took in a breath. "You help us get off this rock…"

"For _what_?" Riddick snorted. "The honor of goin' back to some asshole of a cell?"

"Truth is, Riddick, I'm tired of this head-up shit. I wanna be free of you as much as you wanna be free of me."

That caught the murderer unawares. "You'd cut me loose?"

"Only if we both get outta this alive. And there may be a way." He smiled, obviously very proud of himself at the moment, as he offered Riddick his hand to seal the deal.

As he stared at Johns' outstretched hand, Riddick thought of what he'd do without chains. Two were quite pleasurable. One involved offing Johns as painfully as possible, and the other didn't have anything to do with pain and everything to do with a pretty lil' crazy woman with long hair and big, dark eyes.

"My recommendation: do me." He announced in his brutal honesty. "Don't take the chance that I'll get shiv-happy on your wannabe ass." He looked back up from Johns's still outstretched hand. "Ghost me, Johns. Would if I were you."

"If you were me, I'd kill us both." Johns snorted, talking as if to a child. "C'mon, you wanna sit at the grown-up table or what?"

A beat passed between them before Riddick reached for the _still_ outstretched hand--and grabbed the shotgun with his off-hand. With a blur of movement he'd turned Johns' weapon against him, and the blonde was looking into the eyes of his own shotgun.

"Want you to remember this moment." Riddick announced before pumping the shotgun, spitting blue shells all over the other man.

Throwing the now useless weapon on the ground, Riddick turned and walked away, wondering with a smirk where his _Lil' Crazy_ was.

* * *

**IMPORTANT! **_I'm thinking about __**SAVING**__ either __**SHAZZA**__ or __**FRY**__. I would like you, my readers, to vote and tell me __**WHO YOU**__ want to be saved out of __**SHAZZA **__and __**FRY**_


	4. Of Morbid Songs and Fanged Octopuses

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pitch Black, or Firefly/Serenity.**

Wanna thank my wonderful reviewers! You are: **AMM3485, ShadowPhoenix17, dragonmamma, Glynnis007, mahone-chic-89, Dark Topaz, LiasonFan2, dillon2, A1kyndria, 0756, Iridescent Twilight, Aviresa, jacobsboo, MissBe, Birdy, anony (**loved your honesty :D so here is your super-duper thanks!)**, SharonH, **and **ForeveranADay**

_Lol. Almost everyone has guessed WHY I want a female to survive!_

Oh, and by the way, so far _**Shazza **_is winning by a _**landslide**_…

* * *

With the blue sun setting and the yellow and orange ones rising, the survivors set off towards the abandoned settlement. Everyone was taking something or the other, Jack being the only one who only had his breather unit to contend with.

Well, other than River, whom the others hadn't asked to carry anything considering that she was injured.

Shazza and Kaylee lugged one power cell behind them while Fry and Iman lugged the other. His boys situated themselves around them, singing songs in Arabic and holding whatever couldn't fit into the sled.

Paris also held onto the bottles of alcohol that hadn't fit in the over-filled drag-sled that Riddick was pulling.

Kaylee frowned as she watched the murderer pull the undoubtedly heavy thing behind him without O2 or even a breather unit. Her frown turned into a glare as she looked at Johns, who was the reason for this inhumane treatment. Murderer or no murderer Riddick was human, and he _was _helping them. He should be treated better.

Paris had been arguing with Johns about Riddick's place in the group, and Iman had stood up for the murderer, saying that they should at least give him a breather unit. Kaylee—and surprisingly enough Shazza—had echoed their agreement, yet Johns wouldn't listen to them.

Kaylee was getting rapidly annoyed with him, which was something, because Kaylee had the patience of saints.

The young mechanic watched as one of Paris' beloved bottles fell from his arms. Trailing, Riddick picked it up, causing the little man to stop his quick dash to grab it and straighten up, his frail little hand shooting out.

"Paris P. Ogilvie." He introduced himself shakily. "Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur."

Surprisingly enough, Riddick shook the much smaller man's hand. "Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict, murderer."

Paris' eyes widened.

Instead of giving the man back his precious bottle, Riddick opened it and took a long drink while Paris hurried up to the front of the line once more.

Kaylee shook her head.

At least River liked 'em with humor.

Talking about River, the girl had been silent the whole time, looking down at her bare feet as they walked. The survivors hadn't been able to convince her to put her boots back on, and after realizing that they weren't going to get her to obey them, they'd left her alone. She now kept glancing at the spires around them and then at her feet, as if tracking movement.

Kaylee shivered, guessing that River probably _was _tracking the movements of the creatures below them.

River's head jerked up and she turned to look at a set of spires close to them and stopped walking. Minutes afterwards a slightly crumbling sound emitted from the spires, confirming the fact that River _could _sense the creatures and their movements.

_That'll come in handy. _Kaylee was sure of it.

She noticed Riddick, who was a little behind the others, keeping his goggled gaze on her preoccupied _Mei-Mei_, and that he _too _had realized that she could sense the 'dogs'.

Kaylee frowned.

That wasn't good.

That wasn't good at all.

* * *

River tilted her head to the side as she wandered away from the group at the skiff. Kaylee had been put to work immediately in the batter bay, adapting the power cell to the skiff's older electrical system. Shazza and Fry were helping her with that they could, and since River knew nothing of mechanics--and they were all thinking _too loudly_--she'd wandered off.

The sand beneath her feet was hot and harsh, yet she felt connected with the planet on a level she'd never been before anywhere else--not even on Miranda--whose secret was one of the main reasons she'd gone insane in the first place.

Feeling a shift beneath her, River paused, hearing their scuffles, sensing their anxiety, their hunger.

It was unnerving how Reaver-like they were in behavior, yet these had never been human. The Alliance had created these things, to defend their cities yet as with _Pax_, everything had turned against them.

_Everything _the Alliance created turned against them…

…Just like River herself.

Entering one of the buildings, River ran her hands over every surface, seeing brief glimpses of the memories the building contained. She was in the communication center, but the comms had been destroyed so communication with the outside planets was impossible.

Still, she turned one of the knobs and was surprised to see the screen flicker to life, showing a prerecorded tape with songs and half-naked women dancing provocatively.

"Trying to learn other dance moves?"

River jerked her gaze from the screen and turned to see Riddick in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe, muscled arms folded over his chest, head tilted slightly, gaze fixed solely on her. She once again felt her heart rate exceed norm and her pulse skyrocket, but this time it brought her curiosity and not fear.

_Now _she knew this was a normal chemical reaction between a woman and male of breeding age. This was what Simon and Kaylee felt whenever they were in the same room.

No _wonder_ Simon had been such a _boob _around Kaylee the first couple of months…the feeling could make _anyone _act like an idiot.

"Why so silent?" Riddick chuckled as he pushed away from the doorframe and slowly stalked towards her like a wolf stalked his prey. "Afraid of being away from the others and alone with a monster like me?" He was before her now, gazing down at her through his dark goggles, just _daring _her to make a run for it now that he was free and could give a chase.

River frowned and stood her ground, tilting her head back so she could look up into his face. "Negative."

His smile was a purely dark thing to behold, and when his hand reached out and he threaded his fingers through her wild hair, River shivered, closing her eyes at the pleasurable sensation.

The video continued to play in the background.

"Who are you, _Lil' Crazy_?" He asked, voice deepening as his other hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against his larger, rock-hard body. Riddick buried his face in her hair once more, inhaling her scent and kneading her flesh with his fingers.

River whimpered, sensations attacking her with ferocity as his mouth found her neck. She gripped the front of his shirt and closed her eyes tighter as his hands traveled the length of her back, caressing her as if he had every right to, as if she was his the way Kaylee was Simon's.

Should she fight him? Should she surrender?

River momentarily forgot how to think when he tore his mouth from her throat and claimed her lips in a scorching kiss that had that coiling sensation in her stomach become nearly painful.

What was proper in these situations?

The Academy had taught her to become the deadliest weapon in the universes but _never _had they considered the topic of intimacy an issue…and Simon hadn't _either_…so River was confused as to if they were going too fast or if this was a normal step once mutual attraction was confirmed.

It was only when she felt him hook his thumbs into the waistband of her pants and begin to ease it down that she pushed away violently.

_That, _she knew, _didn't _happen right away.

It'd taken _months _for Simon and Kaylee to see each other's flesh and become one.

She knew because she'd been hidden and had watched the whole thing when it'd finally happened.

River glared up at Riddick, despite the fact that she was flushed with pleasure and her lips swollen from his attentions.

He gave a throaty, yet slightly pained chuckle. "Trying to torture me, _Lil' Crazy_?" He took a step towards her and she took one backwards. "You're doin' a _helluva _better job than Johns."

Suddenly a commercial began, and River paled, turning to the screen and watching the monstrous octopus as the morbid song continued to play. In her head she screamed for someone to turn it off before the subliminal message could be finished and once more trigger her as it had in the past, but it was too late.

Turning her now cold eyes on Riddick, River grabbed a chair and swung it at him.

* * *

They'd gotten the skiff up and running with enough energy to do a system-check, but had decided that they'd need four more power cells to actually _launch _the skiff. While Shazza had stayed behind to work on a solar sand-cat they'd found out back so they could go back to the crash site to get the cells and come back to the skiff in the vehicle, Kaylee had become uneasy at the fact that Riddick was missing, and that so was River.

Normally she knew River could take down anything or anyone, but this was a confused River with her first crush, so Kaylee decided to go find her friend and make sure that Riddick wasn't taking advantage of her.

He was interested in River--that much was obvious. It would have been _so _much easier on Kaylee if he _hadn't._

Kaylee was so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize she'd gone a good distance from the others until she heard something crash and a curse.

Recognizing Riddick's voice, she hurried into the building without a second thought and froze at what she saw.

River and Riddick moved with such speed and accuracy, grace and deadliness, it was like a _dance_. At first Kaylee was frightened of what Riddick could have done to have River attacking him with such ferocity, but then she recognized the sound in the background and her eyes widened in horror as she remembered the commercial whose subliminal message had been played some years back to trigger River and help the Alliance's Operative discover where she was and whom she was traveling.

Kaylee looked from the screen to River and Riddick once more, trying desperately to remember the phrase Simon had used to put River to sleep when she'd attacked the patrons at the bar they'd gone to meet Fanty and Mingo in.

All the while, as she desperately searched her brain for the phrase, Kaylee's eyes were on the battling duo.

Not even _Jayne_—their best fighter—had been able to hold up against the 90-pound girl, and yet Riddick dodged her movements with fluidness and managed to push her against the wall a time or two. And despite the fact that she'd landed a good amount of punches and kicks, the murderer seemed to be _enjoying _the fight as he ducked and kicked at her feet, narrowly sending her on her ass.

Never had anyone been able to _keep up _with River like this in hand-to-hand combat.

"If this is your way or telling me I shouldn't kiss you again, you're going about it all the wrong way." He smirked as he raised his hand and shielded his head from the chair she smashed against him, only to land a kick on her stomach and send her across the room. Following her so quickly he was only a blur, Riddick had her pinned against the wall, burying his nose in the section of skin behind her ear, keeping her there despite her attempts to dislodge him. "You're just making me want you more."

Suddenly remembering the phrase, Kaylee cried it out and immediately River's eyes rolled in the back of her head and she fell unconscious into Riddick's surprised arms.

Ignoring the murderer, Kaylee rushed to the screen and turned it off, silencing the commercial. "Damn Alliance and their damned subliminal messages! Why can't they just leave River _alone?! _Who would have thought that this planet would still be able to receive this material?" She kicked at a broken chair. "How could this have reached here? According to Fry the last time anyone lived here was 60 years ago, but that message, that message is only two years old."

She couldn't understand it. Had someone come to this place and left it there just in case River came here?

But why?

And _who_?

"You might wanna be explainin' _why _the Alliance would go to all the trouble for a little creature like River." Riddick's voice was deep darkness. "And while you're at it, you'll be telling me how she knows all the moves of an Alliance Operative."

Kaylee paled, having forgotten that she wasn't alone there. Turning to Riddick she was surprised to see that he held the unconscious River in his arms easily despite the fact that he'd been injured somewhat by the fight. "I--errr--." She paused and frowned at him. "How do you know the moves of an Alliance Operative?"

"Let's just say the people I murdered, the people I'm being sent to the slam for, _weren't_ civilians."

Kaylee's eyes widened. "You're a browncoat, like us!"

He scowled at her, shifting River's weight in his arms. "I didn't fight in any fuckin' war if that's what you're saying." He growled. "I jus' don't like no one telling me what I can or can't do or how I can or can't live my life. I'm my _own _law."

Kaylee wasn't insulted by him or his mannerisms; she'd spent too much time with Jayne to be. And she couldn't help but begin to see him in a totally different light. Maybe River didn't have the worst of taste _after all_.

"So, if _Lil' Crazy _**isn't **a damned Operative, what the _hell _is she?"

Kaylee looked up at the one man who might just become their greatest ally on this planet. "It's a long story."

He snorted, going to the only chair that wasn't broken and sitting down. "It's not like we have anything else to do." He arranged River on his lap with a dark frown. "Why the hell isn't she waking up?"

"She'll be out for a while. It happens whenever she's un-triggered. She'll wake up soon though, and a lot rested than if she'd gone to sleep under normal circumstances."

"So this isn't the first time she's done this." Riddick commented.

Kaylee shook her head. "No, they've used that same commercial to find her two years ago." Apparently she'd decided to tell him, to trust the murderer of Alliance Operatives, and as Kaylee sat on the ground, the mechanic hoped that she'd made the right decision.

* * *

"…And for this, our gift of drink, we give thanks in the name of our prophet Muhammad, peace be unto him, and to our Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and to His father, Allah the Compassionate and the Merciful." With that, Iman was the first to drink of the water they'd collected.

"The _strangest _religion…"Paris murmured to himself as he too drank of the water provided.

Shazza shook her head at the small man and gave Iman a small smile. While the death of Zeke loomed over her head, she knew that she had to be strong, she had to survive, and that life went on. For now she would be happy that they'd found life-sustaining water, a skiff to take them out of this hell hole before the solar eclipse, and that she'd gotten the sand-cat to work so they could go back and get the remaining power cells they would need to get the skiff up and running.

She looked around the room and wondered where Kaylee, little River, and Riddick were. She also noticed that one of Iman's disciples, Ali, was missing as well. They should be here, they all needed water as much as the rest of them--although Johns would be sure to say that Riddick wasn't human thus didn't need water as the rest of them did.

"Perhaps we should toast to our hosts." Paris' voice broke into her thoughts. "What were they anyway? _Miners_?"

"Geologists." Shazza answered without a second thought, refilling her glass. "Advance team, they move around from rock to rock."

"Musta crapped out here, huh?" Johns snorted, throwing his head back and emptying the glass in one shot.

"But why did they leave their ship?" Jack asked innocently.

There was silence since it was a question that'd bothered them all since the discovery of the skiff, and they had chosen not to dwell on it to keep their peace of mind.

Yet the child had unknowingly opened the damn, and now they would have to reassure him somehow.

Surprisingly enough, it was _Johns _who offered an answer to the young boy. "Well, it's only a _skiff_. Disposable, really."

"Like an emergency life-raft, right?" Paris asked, sounding like he was trying to reassure himself more than Jack.

"Sure." Shazza put in for the kid's sake. She'd never had children with Zeke, and now more than ever she was glad she hadn't (they'd be stuck in this horrible situation) and saddened (because she had nothing to remember her husband by). "Coulda had a real drop-ship take them off-planet. Long gone."

Jack smiled, obviously content to believe them.

"Has anyone seen the little one?" Iman suddenly asked, looking around with a frown on his face. "Ali?"

Shazza, who'd noticed the boy's disappearance long ago, was surprised that Iman had realized he was there.

"I haven't seen him." Fry spoke up, looking around the room as if the child was hiding under a table.

"They all look alike to me." Johns shrugged, reaching for more water.

Jack cleared his throat. "When I left him he was heading towards the Coring Room."

Iman frowned. "I told him not to stray! It is a dangerous path we lead! Eve fell into the serpent's snare because she separated from Adam and wandered on her own!" He turned and in left the room, worry etched into his every movement.

Shazza watched as the other two disciples ran out after him. "Maybe we should all go have a look. Some of these buildings have been locked up since the last settlers, they'd be dark, perfect hiding places for those damned dogs."

For some reason they had all gotten to calling the creatures 'dogs' like River despite the fact that according to Fry, they looked _nothing like dogs_.

The docking pilot jerked her head up at that. "You're right. Let's go."

Shazza nodded and both women hurried to catch up with the Chrislams, Jack at their heels.

They exited the building in time to hear the boy's scream.

* * *

Riddick noticed Kaylee's head jerk up when the scream filled the air but he honestly didn't care what was happening to the others. He had a lot on his mind with all the information she'd told him about the deceptively innocent-looking girl sleeping in his arms.

She wasn't normal.

She was a weapon, trained to kill accurately and emotionlessly…

…And _damned_ if he hadn't wanted her _more_ after that fight.

The woman was his equal in ways no one else had ever come close to being.

"That sounded like Ali." Kaylee's face was distressed. A pretty face like that shouldn't be distressed. "Maybe we should go and see if there's trouble."

Giving her a look that said 'go if you want, I ain't holding you back', Riddick stayed put. He could see that his attitude irritated the obviously sensitive woman but he honestly didn't care if anything happened to the others and didn't see why he _should_.

"_Oh_!" Kaylee threw her hands up in female annoyance, amusing Riddick greatly. "If it were _us_ in trouble you'd want the others to come and help, wouldn't you?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "If it was _me_, I _wouldn't_ need their help." He informed her quite seriously.

Kaylee glared at him.

Riddick looked at her coolly, turning to look down at River when she murmured something in her sleep and curled tighter against him. Usually, he'd have been smug, yet his muscles tensed and a muscle jerked in his cheek.

"Who is _Simon_?" He asked, looking up at River's cousin.

He hated this, hated the fact that he actually _cared_ that she thought he was another man when she curled into his heat. Why should he _care_ if the crazy bitch had someone she loved and was used to being with? Why should he give a _fuck_ that one of the men on that ship of theirs was most probably bedding her?

Riddick's animal snarled angrily with an emotion he didn't know or even recognized.

"Her brother." Kaylee's voice was even and unafraid; obviously she hadn't noticed the anger within him.

And all of a sudden all was well again.

_Fuck_.

Apparently this little woman was getting under his skin.

"The doc who saved her." He said more than asked, remembering that part of the story.

"Yes." Kaylee nodded, eyes out of the windows and out into the street. "Please, we should go see--."

River jerked up from Riddick's hold with a blood-curdling scream as she flung herself away from them and rushed towards the darkest corner of the room, huddling against the floor, shaking back and forth, murmuring incoherencies.

She was completely insane at the moment, and yet so beautiful in a way Riddick couldn't even _understand_.

"_River_?" Kaylee cried, going towards her yet not daring to touch.

"He's frightened, hiding and running from the flapping of wings that follow him like an un-waking nightmare." River's eyes were wide, as if in a trance, seeing things they couldn't see. "_Ya Allah! Ya Allah!_" She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth. "They circle him like the Grim and touch his skin, making him bleed and cry. _Audhu billah_! He ducks for the darkness, shivering, pained, hearing them outside…hearing them _above_." She tilted her head up and her eyes trailed over the ceiling as if seeing what he saw, fear darkening her eyes, yet it was a fear not her own. "They uncurl and descend like a wave of darkness upon him. _Ya Allah!_ There is pain as the Grim takes him for his own, and then, there is…_nothing_."

On her knees next to River, Kaylee cried into her hands. "_Ali_…"

"If Johns realizes what she is, he'll turn her in without blinking an eye." Riddick told Kaylee, shocking her out of her tears. "Can you keep her un-crazy and quiet until we get the hell off this rock?"

She wiped at her eyes viciously, standing on his shaky feet. "I—I don't know--but I'll try."

"Do it, you don't want that merc realizing the woman has a price over her head that's larger than mine."

"_Merc_?" Kaylee blinked in surprise. "He's a _mercenary_?!"

"_'Course_." Riddick snorted at her reaction. "Why? Did he tell everyone he was an enforcer?" When she nodded numbly, he shook his head. "Did he show a badge or were you all just a bunch of trusting idiots?"

Kaylee winced. "Trusting idiots." She sighed, getting control over her emotions better now that she had something to concentrate on. "And I should know better after all we've been through on _Serenity_." She closed her eyes and breathed in before turning to River, who'd gone silent, staring off into space. "River? _Mei-Mei_?"

Those dark orbs rose to Kaylee immediately. "It didn't hurt long." She whispered, obviously trying to comfort the other girl despite the fact that she'd had to _see_ it herself. "When subject to a certain amount of pain the body goes numb and feels nothing. I know—I felt it."

Kaylee tried to give her a thankful smile but it was pitiful. "C'mon, you more than any of us know why we shouldn't be away from the others."

River looked at the hand she offered as if expecting it to bite her before timidly grasping it and allowing the other girl to pull her up.

Riddick admired River's cool attitude, the way she pulled herself together rapidly and once again seemed the confident woman who'd caught his attention the moment he'd inhaled her heavenly scent.

"We must attend the service." River told them before letting go of Kaylee's hand and walking out the door with the grace of a dancer.

Riddick smirked as he watched her body from behind and soon joined her, vaguely noticing when Kaylee hurried to catch up with them.

* * *

"Why was the door chained up?" Shazza asked as they stood in the Coring Room. "Why the bloody hell would they lock themselves in like that?"

Iman had had a prayer service in which most had attended, yet when he and the other Chrislams ventured off into a more private farewell service, only Paris and Jack remained to offer their respects.

The rest of them were in the Coring Room, where Ali's body had been discovered.

"Not sure," Johns looked out at those still at the farewell service. "But tell you what: those Chrislams better not be diggin' another grave out there."

Kaylee gave the law enforcer an ugly glare.

Shazza could understand. A child had just been killed and Johns was acting really cold about it.

" Other buildings weren't secure," Riddick announced from where he stood next to a silent and unusually pale River. Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue, and surprisingly enough he did. "…So they ran here. Heaviest doors." He motioned with his chin towards the objects mentioned. "Thought they'd be safe inside, but…" he turned to look down into the shaft. "Someone forgot to lock the back door."

Shazza joined him at the shaft and looked down at the millions of bones that'd been picked clean and cluttered the landing. She sighed, forcing herself to look at them, forcing herself to accept reality. "So that's what 'came of me Zeke." She whispered, looking up at Riddick in silence before sighing once more. "You really _were_ telling the truth."

He nodded.

She paused. "You wouldn't have minded killing him tho'. You were there for a reason."

"Not necessarily there to kill him." The murderer's gaze shifted slightly to the silent girl next to him before speaking. "Just wanted his O-2." He waited a beat before scoffing. "Though I noticed he tried to ghost my ass when he shot that stranger instead."

She couldn't deny it. They'd all been prepared to kill him because of what Johns had told them about Riddick, yet the murderer was amongst them and Shazza couldn't help but see him in a different light now that she was a hundred percent sure that he hadn't killed her husband. On the contrary, instead of taking a life he'd saved one.

It was time that someone recognized that.

Taking off her breather, Shazza handed it to Riddick. "Take it."

He looked at it suspiciously. "What, it's broken?"

She smirked. "Startin' to acclimatize, anyhow." Shazza shook it a little. "Take it."

Riddick accepted it awkwardly, sucking down his first gulp of pure O-2.

Feeling something, Shazza turned and noticed Johns glaring at her. Obviously he'd watched the exchange closely and didn't like the idea of Riddick being promoted in their sights from a murderer who should be killed on sight--to a beast of heavy-labor--to an oxygen-breathing _human_.

_Too bad for him_.

"Today." Fry whispered and everyone turned to look at her. "I hadn't realize but seeing the date on that calendar on the wall…_today_."

"Today _what_?" Johns asked, impatient.

"What's the last day marked on that calendar?"

Kaylee turned to the faded calendar, narrowed her eyes and read the date out loud.

" So they kept calendars," Johns frowned. "What off it?"

"Don't you _get_ it?" Shazza whispered, dread filling her. "They didn't change the calendar because the next day they were _that_." She pointed towards the shaft. "It happened 60 years _today_."

Kaylee's eyes widened in horror as she finally understood. "The eclipse…it's going to happen _today_…"

"For, behold, darkness will cover the earth," River whispered in a soft, eerie voice. "And deep darkness the people…"

For some reason Riddick shot Kaylee a disproving glare and the other girl gave him a 'what would you have me do?" look.

"Are you fuckin' _kidding_ me?!" Johns exclaimed as he turned to River. She'd been right about so many things they were beginning to believe her without questioning how she _knew_ those things.

Riddick's gaze went from Kaylee, to the shaft, to River, and finally to a pale Johns. "Not afraid of the dark, are you?"

* * *

_**Hope you all liked that! I know I'm enjoying writing this story more than I have many of my other stories. Please review and let me know what you think so far.**_

Arabic Translations:

_Ya Allah: O God!_

_Audhu billah: I seek refuge in God_


	5. Pitch Black

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pitch Black, or Firefly/Serenity.**

_Heya guys! Loved hearing from you and your thoughts! Those who took time to give me a much appreciated review were: __**vampirenav, A Friend, Mahone-chic-89, dragonmamma, Honey76, MissBe, SharonH, ShadowPhoenix17, LiasonFan2, Birdy, **__**Chaotic Jinx **and **jacobsbooo**_.

* * *

"We need those cells from the crash ship." Carolyn Fry announced. "_Shit_, still gotta check out the hull—--patch up the wings--." She turned to Shazza and Kaylee. "Get a start on it."

The mechanic and the Australian nodded before hurrying out of the Coring Room towards the skiff. Kaylee stopped in the doorway and turned to River and Riddick, who were still in the room.

"Come you two, we'll need help."

Riddick gave Johns and Fry a look before leaving.

River silently followed, yet when no one was looking she hid behind a couple of barrels. Johns was giving off heated vibes, and since she didn't trust the handsome blonde (and couldn't read his mind) she'd stayed behind to hear what he was obviously itching to tell their pilot.

Once he was sure that the others were gone, Johns turned to Fry. "Let's wait on those power cells."

"Wait for _what_?" Fry snapped, rounding on him, disbelief darkening her words. "Until it's so dark we can't even find our way back to--?"

"We're not sure _when_ it happens," Johns was obviously beginning to lose his patience with the only person he could truly consider his ally on this planet. "So let's not--."

"_Get the fucking cells over here, Johns_." Fear had turned Fry into a vicious tigress ready to strike at anything in her way--even handsome, blue-eyed devils. "What's the discussion?"

A muscle twitched in Johns' cheek, yet to his credit he kept his growing annoyance out of his voice. "Ever tell you how Riddick escaped?"

Fry looked up at him, frown turning confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

River watched them from her hiding place, hearing all of Fry's conflicting, frightened thoughts, and Johns' empty blankness. Why was it that she couldn't read Johns? With Riddick she knew there was a barrier that kept her out, but with Johns it was just _silence_.

Of course, it _would_ be _her_ luck that the only person she _wanted _to hear the thoughts of would be completely silent.

Johns looked around before taking a closer step to Fry and speaking in a softer voice. "He can pilot."

Fry's eyes widened, obviously jarred by the revelation. "He can _what_?"

Obviously pleased with her reaction, Johns relaxed somewhat. "Hijacked a prison transport, made a _helluva_ good run 'fore I tracked him down."

"Okay, maybe that's a _good_ thing." Faint hope was evident in her voice, wiping the pleasure from Johns' face. "We're lucky. We got stranded with a mechanic to help patch up the skiff, and a pilot to get us out of here. I--I'm only a docking pilot, he--."

"Also figured out how to kill the pilot and the other convicts that escaped with him on the transport." Johns informed her.

Fry froze, going pale, shivering, before sending him a glare. "You said we were going to trust him now." Accusation was thick in her voice. "You said there was a _deal_."

Johns snorted. "That's what I said." His look challenged her to read his mind.

River sure the hell was trying, and feeling more and more frustrated when she couldn't pick up _anything_ from him.

"Oh," Fry whispered, realizing what Johns' _true_ intentions were the same moment River did. "This is a dangerous game you're playing, Johns."

"May've noticed that chains don't work on this guy, it's better for him to have the illusion of freedom." Johns scoffed at her warning. "And you _know_ what sort of things he's done, you already told me that you'd heard of his murders. You know monsters like that don't deserve to be free amongst innocent people again."

Fry looked away, jaw tense, arms folded over her chest.

"And he _sure_ has taken a likin' to pretty little River."

The docking pilot jerked her glare back at Johns. "What are you saying?"

"You know what I'm saying, _captain_." Johns looked like he wanted to smirk and frown at the same time. "Imagine what that _creature_ would do to that lil' woman once we'll all in the air and he's killed us--or maybe he'll just kidnap her and steal the ship, leaving the animals on this planet to do the work for him so he'll have more time to…_enjoy_…her."

Fry looked as if she'd been slapped, and unfolded her hands, taking a couple of steps back. "I--he's been convicted for _murder_, I never heard anything about 'rape' when they waved the _Hunter Gratzner_ about him some time back."

"Keep telling yourself that princess, but it ain't _you _he can't keep his goggles offa." Johns shook his head at her, as if disgusted by her naivety. "Stop thinking with your _cunt_."

Fry's hand shot out and the slap resounded in the Coring Room. "Don't you _ever_ speak to me like that again, do you _hear me_?" She hissed, eyes narrowed viciously. "_I_ am the leader here and I demand some respect!"

"Oh _believe me, _I give the woman who would have _happily_ sacrificed everyone on board the _Hunter Gratzner_—man woman and child—for herself the amount of _respect_ she deserves!" Johns snapped, Fry's handprint red against his cheek.

The docking pilot looked as if he'd slapped her back, and lowered her gaze to her boots, body visibly shaking, thoughts of guilt and self-hatred filling her head.

"When you get your head outta the clouds and finally start remembering that he's a cold-blooded _murderer_ and not some muscular _eye-candy_ you'll admit that he's dangerous and can't be trusted." Johns pressed on, seeing that he had the upper hand in the conversation once more. "Only way we're safe is if he believes he's goin' free." He paused. "But if he _stops_ believin'--"

"You mean, if he learns that you're gonna royally _fuck_ him over." Fry snapped, obviously not as easily broken as Johns had thought.

River was beginning to like the docking pilot.

"--We need a fail-safe." Johns continued as if she hadn't interrupted him. "Bring the cells over at the last possible minute--when Shazza and Kaylee have fixed up the skiff and made it sky-friendly--when we know _we're_ ready to launch."

Fry shook her head at him slightly, as if seeing him with different eyes. "He hasn't harmed any of us!" She told him. "He fuckin' _saved_ River's _life_! Stick to your deal with him—even if only to show him gratitude for saving the girl. Let him go if that's what it takes--."

"He's a murderer." Johns cut her off mercilessly. "The law says he gotta do his bid, or do _you _wanna be the one to tell the family of his victims that _you_ let him loose once more because he decided he wanted to save some skirt so he could break her afterwards?"

Fry flinched away from those words and lowered her gaze, backing away from the fight, defeated. "You're dancin' on razor blades here…"

"I won't give him the chance to grab another ship—slash the throat of another pilot—or harm that girl."

"And what do you plan on doing to keep him away from her?" Fry snorted. "She's as attracted to him as he is to her. She even went to see him when you had him chained up. And while he might be fucked up, she's not normal either, Johns. Who knows, they might actually make the perfect couple." She added, sarcastically.

Johns flinched, obviously River's visiting Riddick was news to him. "She's suffered a traumatizing shock, Fry. She nearly died and he saved her. It's pure hero-adoration shit. She'll eventually realize how fucked-up he is--but she need to be kept away from him until then."

"And how do you plan on doing this?" Fry wanted to know. "Keep her from him yourself? Hold her hand and tell her not to talk to tall, dark, handsome strangers with a tendency to get skiv-happy?"

He smirked. "What a good idea, captain."

She frowned. "Now wait one minute here Johns…"

Yet the blonde had turned and walked out on her.

River watched as the docking pilot stalked away after the law enforcer, obviously not finished with their conversation.

"Knew not to trust him."

Gasping, River turned and saw Riddick materializing out of the shadows closer to the door. Apparently he _too_ had noticed Johns itching to have a lone conversation with Fry.

"They're making a mistake." Riddick told her, apparently not minding her silence. "Waiting until so close to the eclipse…that's stupid."

"The fox knows that the wolf is stronger, and to make up for lack of strength, he tries to outsmart him." River paused. "Yet his 'smartness' isn't smart enough. A wolf's brain is larger."

Riddick's scowl had turned into a wolf-like grin as he listened to her. "Is that so, my lil' 'skirt'?" he asked, quoting the name Johns had given her.

River nodded as she went to Riddick and gave the murderer the smile Kaylee gave Simon that made her brother's thoughts become heated and filled with images of their oneness. "The wolf's brain isn't the _only_ anatomy of his which is bigger than the fox's." And with another grin, yet this one tinged with the blush on her face, River walked out of the Coring Room.

There was the rumbling of a throaty chuckle behind her before Riddick was besides her once more. "Damned _right_ it's not."

River frowned suddenly, remembering Johns' parting words. "The fox wants to hide the stars in his jaw and keep them from the darkness."

Riddick tilted his head towards her, a smirk growing on his face. "So I'm the _darkness_ now?" For some reason that metaphor seemed to please him, and his grin turned deadly.

River nodded, returning his smile, enjoying the fact that someone understood her so well. Whenever she was with him the young woman could forget for a moment that she wasn't like the others, and just pretend that she was normal.

"Yes, well, I want _you_ to stay away from Johns and go with Kaylee and Shazza." He ordered. "And try keep your mouth shut around him. Won't take long for the shitter to realize who you are if you keep spouting out like you've been doin' so far," Riddick paused before adding: "_River Tam_."

River shivered at the ripples of pleasure that ran through her at the sound of her name on his lips. "Where are you going?" She asked when he turned to leave her.

Riddick looked back at her with a smirk. "Goin'ta have me a little talk with the captain. Think there's something about ol' Saint Johns she might wanna know."

River frowned at the odd sensation in her stomach at the thought of Riddick leaving her to look for Fry, but she pushed it away. "Okay."

"Just so you know," Riddick commended lazily as he began to walk away. "I plan on continuing what we left off in the Comms Room before you went crazy."

River's frown was immediately replaced with a goofy grin as she watched him turn the corner and disappear from view. The girl stayed there in that spot, looking at the empty space where Riddick had once been, deciding that she _liked_ the sensations he invoked in her and wanted to explore them further.

She also decided that when she got back to _Serenity_ she'd wave Inara and ask her all the questions Kaylee had been too embarrassed to answer.

* * *

Riddick truly wasn't surprised that Johns was going to either kill him or leave him on the planet for the creatures to play with him a little before having a snack—he'd guessed the blonde's intentions all along. That was why he'd recommended that Johns just ghost him first, because now that he was free, Riddick wasn't going down again--and he _definitely_ didn't plan on becoming Dog Chow now that he had every intention of proving to that little tease what he could _do_ with his 'bigger' anatomy.

So that was why he was aboard the skiff, watching Carolyn Fry work on the computer system. Johns and her were the power-duo, the heads of this fucked up little 'family', and Riddick decided that it was time 'mummy' and 'daddy' got divorced.

But how to get around to the point he was going to drive through without it being obvious that that was the reason he'd come here?

"Looks like we're a few shy."

She jumped and whirled around, cursing.

"…cells." Riddick prompted when it only looked as if she was going to try and calm herself and _not_ pick up her part of the conversation.

"They're coming."

He raised an eyebrow at her. So she was going to go along and follow Johns' orders. That just wouldn't do. "Strange, not doin' a run-up on the main drive yet," he waited a half beat. "Strange unless he told you the particulars of my escape..."

She took the bait. "I got the quick-and-ugly version."

"An' now you're worried about a repeat of history." He said more than asked.

For her credit, her body didn't betray the nervousness her eyes did. "Entered our minds."

"I asked what _you_ thought." He pressed, taking a step closer, pausing when he realized that her breathing had accelerated…and fear wasn't the _only_ smell in the air.

_Interesting_.

"You scare me Riddick." She admitted in a defensive voice. "That's what you wanna hear, isn't it? There, I admit it. Can I get back to work now?" She was getting all defensive, acting bossy and uninterested, yet the way her eyes quickly did a once-over betrayed what was going on her mind when concerning him.

This could actually work in his favor.

Fry tore her eyes from his body and gave him her back.

Riddick came closer and quickly scanned the controls, memorizing them and after a quick analysis he concluded that while he'd never flown one of these before he wouldn't have any problem doing so if the situation came to that.

Fry's body radiated tension as he stood so close to her.

Riddick couldn't help but find her attraction to him amusing, yet he knew that laughing wouldn't help his mission, so he kept his face dead. "Think Johns is a do-right man? You think I could trust him to cut me loose?"

A beat passed and her tension grew.

God, she was so _easy_ to play with.

"Why, what'd you hear?"

"Well, guess if it were trickeration he'd just do me, huh? Then again…I _am_ worth twice as much alive." He could have smirked when the truth suddenly smacked her on her harshly. "Didn't know? Johns aint an enforcer." He finally allowed himself to smirk when he saw the denial in her eyes and in the slight shaking of her head. "Oh, he's got that shiny badge an' all—but I don't think he's been flashin' it around as much as he used to." His smirk grew. "He's just a merc and I'm just a payday. _That's_ why he won't kill me. The creed is greed."

The revelation knocked her off stride but she stubbornly refused to believe him. "Save it, Riddick. We aren't gonna turn on each other--no matter _how_ hard you try."

The murderer moved up right behind her, using her attraction to him against her, barely suppressing his grin when he heard her quick intake of breath. "I don't truly know what's gonna happen when the lights go out Carolyn--but I _do_ know that once the dyin' starts, this little psycho family of ours is gonna rip itself apart. So you better find out the truth." He took pleasure in her pleasured whimper when he lowered his face to hers. "Come nightfall--and it _will_ come--you better know _exactly_ who's standing behind you."

The monitor chirping: "HULL INTEGRITY—100" played in the background.

Riddick took a step back and turned to leave, his job there almost done. "Oh, an' ask Johns 'bout those shakes he gets. And ask _why_ your crew-pal had to scream like that 'fore he died." The silence told him all he needed to know, and with the smile of Grim, he left the skiff and a shaky docking captain behind him.

* * *

Fry was furious.

_And horny as __**hell**_…

…But that only added to her fury as she went in search of Johns.

When she realized that everyone other than Johns seemed to be outside doing something productive, she frowned. That frown grew deeper as she saw River helping Kaylee and Shazza finish up the last touches needed on the skiff--and Riddick in the background, arms folded over his chest, watching the young woman was a lazy leer as she bent over to retrieve something for her cousin.

Apparently Johns wasn't fulfilling his self-appointed mission to be River's shadow, so that meant he wasn't outside and didn't know Riddick was tailing her once more.

So that meant Johns was _inside_.

Turning around, Fry stormed into the building. The moment she saw him she opened her mouth yet shut it when she realized what he was doing.

With his back to her, shirt off, Johns was bent over a box of shotgun shells and pulled out a red-metal one from its place between the usual blue-metal shells. Removing a glass ampule hidden inside, the mercenary dropped the ampule into an injection syringe.

As he injected the substance into a vein in his arm, Johns' face was pure bliss.

She'd seen enough.

Riddick had been telling the truth.

"Who are you? Really?"

He whirled around, pulling the now empty syringe out of his vein.

That fury within her was growing. "You're not a real enforcer, are you? Just some mercenary who goes around talkin' about the law--."

"I never said I was." Johns interrupted, beginning to put his things away, apparently feeling guiltless about the deception.

"Never said you were a hype, either." She hissed, moving closer, rummaging through his stuff brazenly, and finding a shitload of red shells with the hidden ampules.

"You have a little caffeine in the morning, I have a little morphine." Johns said in a flat voice from where he watched her. "So _what_?"

"How _could_ you?" She lashed out, turning on him, shaking one of the red shells in his face viciously. "How could you let Owens die like _that_ when you had enough drugs to knock out a _fuckin' mule-team_?!"

"Owens was already dead." Johns pried the shell from her hands and replaced it amongst the others almost tenderly. "His brain just hadn't caught onto the fact."

Something inside her went cold. "Anything _else_ we should know about you, Johns? _Christ_, here I am lettin' you play games with our lives when--."

He caught her arms and moved them around his body, forcing her into an embrace. His hold on her hands grew painfully strong when she struggled to escape, yet she went still when her fingers made contact with the ugly, jagged purple scar he'd pressed them against.

"My first run-in with Riddick." Johns said as a way of explanation. "Went for the sweet-spot and missed. They had to leave a piece of the shiv in there. I can feel it, sometimes, pressing against the cord." He let go and pushed away from her. "So maybe the care and feeding of my nerve-ends is _my business_."

"You coulda helped." Fry pressed on, remembering Owens' pain, his last screams. "And you _didn't_."

"_Captain! Captain!_" They could hear the Chrislams crying from outside.

They ignored them.

"You just let a good man suffer for hours and die horribly." Fry spat out, itching to punch him. "That makes you no better than _Riddick_. At least he killed his victims quickly unless they pissed him off!"

Johns made up his nose in disgust as he looked Fry over. "Yeah, well, look to thine own ass first. Right, _captain_?"

That cut deep, and not for the first time Fry lamented having confided in him.

"CAPTAIN!" Kaylee's cry caught their attention, and after sharing long, hate-filled glares, they marched outside to see what the commotion was all about.

Exiting the building, Fry opened her mouth to ask what was going on when she noticed that everyone's gazes were gang-locked on…_an arch in the sky_.

Luminous, ominous, it grew from the horizon.

"What do my eyes see?" Paris whispered, wiping at his spectacles as if hoping that it was only a speck on his glasses that he could remove with a sweep of his dirty shirt.

"It's starting…" Fry responded, watching hypnotically as the arch slowly began to rise, inching towards the suns.

Shazza seemed to shake herself out of the trance first and turned to Fry. "If we're going to get those power cells from the crash ship--I suggest we kick on. That sand-cat's solar."

Fry nodded. "Go get it started." She turned to the others. "Get everything ready! The solar eclipse is happening quicker than we hoped and we have to go get those cells!"

They rushed out, everyone to get what was needed…all except River, whose gaze were on her feet and then hurriedly went to the spires all around them, face pale, body trembling slightly. Her dark eyes rose to the heavens and closed for a moment, before opening once more. The girl gave the spires once more look before leaving to help Kaylee bring ropes, water and other necessities to the sand-cat.

Fry shivered as she watched the girl.

It was as if she'd _sensed _something.

Shaking off the silly thought, Fry hurried to get ready as well.

It would seem that in moments everyone had gotten what was needed and hurried onto the sand-cat as they began their hurried journey back to the crash ship.

* * *

When the sand-cat arrived at the crash ship it hadn't completely stopped before bodies jumped over the side and hurried to do what had to be done. River unconsciously reached for the hunting boomerang Paris had forgotten all about and looked at the weapon, mind rapidly processing all the information she'd been fed about it and its techniques.

She watched as Johns yanked the first power cell and started dragging it over the deck. Riddick yanked a second and, carrying it on his shoulder, passed Johns with a kiss-my-ass grin.

Glaring after the murderer, Johns shouldered _his_ cell and stumbled after.

Being the only one left on the sand-cat other than Shazza, who'd wheeled the solar vehicle around, getting clearance between it and the ship, River had a good view of everything that was going on.

The Chrislams lashed a scrap-metal sled to the back of the solar vehicle, rapidly talking to each other in Arabic as they did so.

River suddenly stood and jumped off of the sand-cat, slowly making her way to the crash ship, not knowing _why_ but feeling the need to get as far away from the spires as possible.

Riddick passed her giving her a smirk before reaching the sled, dropping the first cell onto it. Johns did the same only seconds later. Apparently they weren't as concerned at racing the eclipse as they were competing with each other.

Feeling the flurry beneath her feet grow in intensity, River stopped her trek to the crash ship and frowned, looking up in the heavens in time to see the rings of the planet eclipse the yellow sun.

It was as if God had closed a blind in the sky. And with the dimming daylight came a growing, high-pitched sound that froze River's blood. Her hand tightened around the hunting boomerang instinctively as she felt _them_ beneath her, going to and fro, hungering, _readying_…

"Don't stop…don't stop!" Fry was calling out encouragements to the others despite the tremble and fear in her own heart.

Paris seemed not to be able to control himself and he _did_ stop, and turn to look in the direction that River was now eyeing--the _spires_.

The sound was coming from the _spires_ and growing with every passing moment.

River was so intoned with the planet she _felt_ when the red sun was eclipsed, yet as a second darkness fell over the survivors she didn't dare tear her gaze from the spires.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and watched in silent horror as something began to pour out of the tops of the spires.

Backlit by coronal light, it first seemed to be smoke or ash, yet River knew better, and soon the others realized that they were living creatures emerging from the depths of hell, hatchlings squealing in delight at their first nightfall.

"_Jesus_," Johns sounded breathless. "How many can there…?"

They kept pouring out of the tops of the spires around the survivors, darkening the sky further, rejoicing loudly in their liberation. Mercifully, the hatchlings seemed to be moving away, but one wave cleaved from the other and did a double-take, heading _towards_ them.

"Just a suggestion," Paris stammered, eyes wide and on the predators in the sky. "But we should _probably_ flee."

"Cargo Hold!" Fry cried. "Cargo Hold, everyone get into the Cargo Hold! Lesgo! Lesgo! Lesgo!"

River turned, noticed she was right in front of the _door_ of said Cargo Hold, and took one step backwards—_inside_.

With her bare feet on the cold metal, she didn't like that now she was a part of the crash ship and not the planet; it was harder to sense the creatures and their movements this way. She moved out of the way as Jack and Paris barreled inside, closely followed by Kaylee, the Chrislams, Fry and Johns.

Noticing two who were _not_ there, River frowned and turned to see Riddick and Shazza—who'd been the furthest out—still out there running towards them.

Hearing the squealing descending on them, both hit the dirt, hatchling torrent raging just inches above them.

It was like a river of razor blades circling them from above.

River's heart beat quicker, yet this time it wasn't the nice way it did when Riddick was around. This time it _hurt_, like it had when Simon had been hurt by the Reavers in Miranda.

She watched Riddick as he watched the hatchlings in awe, no more frightened than a kid lying on his back looking up at the stars. Experimenting, he eased a bone-shiv into a hatchling that'd flown lower than the rest, and watched in detachment as the creature was easily sliced in two.

Feeling assured that Riddick would somehow be fine, River's attention went to Shazza and she felt the same…_fear_…that was what Kaylee had once explained was the name of the rare feeling River had only felt twice in her life after being taken from the Academy by her brother.

Shazza looked horrified, as if she was having trouble breathing.

"Stay down…" Kaylee whispered to herself, fists clenched. "Stay _down_ Shazza!"

The hatchlings keep coming, swarming more and more and Shazza whipped a frantic look at the Cargo Hold.

River could see her mentally calculating her chances of making it to the Cargo Hold before without being eaten like her husband had been.

"DON'T DO IT!" Jack must have realized the same thing River had. "SHAZZA! **STAY DOWN**!"

Suddenly the swarm clashed in the air and flew upwards, leaving the group in silence.

Shazza looked at the Cargo Hold with determination and stood…

"No, no, no, no!" Fry screamed out just as the swarm descended towards those outside with fury from above.

River hadn't even realized what she'd done until the silver shooting through the air caught the attention of the survivors--and the _hatchlings_. The blade swinging through the air cut through the darkness, and all around Riddick and Shazza hatchlings fell bloodied and screaming.

The glimmer of silver did a sharp u-turn in the air and flew back towards the Cargo Hold at a blinding speed. River's hand shot out, catching the hunting boomerang carelessly.

Both the survivors and the hatchlings seemed confused and disoriented from the unexpected attack.

Kaylee, giving River a small smile, turned to those outside. "_**RUN!**_"

Distracted by the blood, the hatchlings descended on their fallen siblings, devouring them and giving Riddick and Shazza the opportunity to make it to the Cargo Hold without a chase.

River and Riddick's gaze met as he casually strolled into the crash ship as if they were having a lovely walk in the park.

She didn't notice the looks everyone was giving her…

…or the sudden light dawning in Johns' eyes.

All she saw was Riddick.

"_River_…" That was Shazza. "_H-how_…?"

Clicking filled the air and they turned in time to see the spires crumbling, being torn apart from within.

Placing one hand proprietarily on the small of River's back, Riddick tore off his goggles and watched the happenings with his jaguar eyes.

River tore her eyes off of him and turned to view what he was watching.

The adult hatchlings, the _creatures_, emerged from the spires. They were large, mammalian, and hammer-headed. _Clicking_ sounds escaped them as they used echo-location, sounding out the world they haven't inhabited in 60 years.

_Nothing_ that ugly or fucked up could have come into being _without_ the Alliance's hand in it.

"What is it?" Fry asked.

"What do you see?" Kaylee whimpered, somewhere behind River.

That was the first time that River realized that it was too dark for the others to make out what was going on.

And once again she was reluctantly thankful for all the shit and pain the Academy had put her through.

While her night vision wasn't half as good as Riddick's, she had something he didn't--she had the planet alive at her feet, feeding her everything she needed to survive. After the attack she'd somehow _connected _with the 'dogs', understood them in a primitive, animalistic way that she resented because it made her feel like one of _them_, like those monsters. She could _feel_ the echo-locations, could _feel_ the creatures…

Was it a connection because they'd both been created by the Alliance?

And…

Could the creatures sense _her_?

"Like I said," Riddick's voice was as dark as the sky above. "Ain't me you gotta worry about."

The rim of the planet above overtook both suns.

The world went _pitch black_.

Riddick led River deeper within the Cargo Hold moments before the vault-like doors slammed shut.

* * *

_Hey everyone! So, I hope you liked this chapter! I'm really enjoying writing this story! And since I can't really remember the movie it's fun trying to stretch my brain! Will watch the movie again once I finish this fic._

_Oh well, review please and let me know if you liked this!_


	6. Close Encounters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Black or Firefly/Serenity. Really. I don't.**

_Wanna thank my reviewers as always. Without you, my muse Raia and I wouldn't be updating so quickly: __(blank), jacobsbooo, SharonH, Mahone-chic-89, Birdy, MissBe, A Friend, anony, AMM3485, dillon2, ShadowPhoenix,__ and __Chaptic Jinx._

_**Shazza is STILL beating Fry horribly**_.

A Friend: I believe the other one (which ISN'T a Riddick/River :more like a Inara/Riddick: yet is a Riddick/Firefly) is called _Some Kind of Crazy_ by _Bigsciencybrain_

Anony: In the first chapter in it explained that Kaylee and River were separated from the rest of the crew while on a planet, when they were attacked by the Alliance—who are still looking for River. To try and dodge them, the girls ducked into the _Hunter Graztner _and next thing they knew they'd been mistaken for passengers and put into cryosleep. Sorry that I hadn't explained it well enough before and hope that this will help you understand better.

_**I'm going to begin integrating some Firefly slang into this and future chapters.**_

* * *

The survivors were locked inside the only secure part of the ship, huddled together, trapped like cavemen in their cave, listening to the howls of hungry sabertooths outside, clamoring for blood.

Jack, Fry and Shazza sat on the floor with their backs against the wall of the Cargo Hold, listening to the sounds of hell outside. The clicking sounds the creatures made were enough to put the fear of God and Buddha in their hearts as they remained silent.

Iman and his two disciples stood by the doors, eyes wide, the leader listening to the sounds outside while the two younger Arabs sent silent prayers to Muhammad, Allah and Jesus Christ for their salvation.

Paris stood close to the boy and women sitting on the ground, pale as paper and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Kaylee must have realized this, because she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and the man with the wire-frames gave her a shaky smile of thanks.

River stood between Riddick and Johns, both men silent, one thanks to his mental barrier and the other thanks to his brain's _silence_, and she felt grounded in the silence. But the young woman couldn't help but notice the looks Johns was giving her, and it made her somewhat uncomfortable.

"What are we going to do?" Jack asked, breaking into the silence. "Are we going to wait it out and hope they don't breech the hull?"

" It might be a good idea." Paris turned to Fry and then looked at Johns, the self-proclaimed leaders of their little group.

"'Spose that's what the group in the Coring Room thought too." Riddick announced in a flat voice.

Everyone in the crash ship flinched visibly at the reminder of the millions of bones picked clean they'd discovered at the bottom of the shaft.

"Well, we can't wait it out anyway." Fry spoke up to try and kill the silence. "The chart said the darkness lasted for days. Those predators will get to us if we don't die of dehydration before."

Another silence descended on them as they let that knowledge, and the dread, sink in.

"We're going to die." Paris bemoaned loudly. "We're all goin' ta bloody _die_!"

"_Hushit_!" Shazza snapped at the antiques dealer when she saw the terror in Jack's eyes. "We aren't goin' ta die! It jus' ain't going ta be easy from hereon out, but we'll find a way."

Still, River could hear the doubts roaming in her head as the clicking outside grew louder.

"Well, I'm sorry if I am the realistic one here!" Paris' voice was loud and irritating. "But I am a dealer of the antique--most of what I sell once belonged to tribes or nationalities that _no longer exist_. So you'll understand that I'm a little distressed that _I_ am about to go _extinct as well_!"

"_Quiet_ everyone. _Please_!" Iman hissed from where he stood by the Cargo Hold's door, listening out.

The others piled up alongside him, ears tuned like radars. A clicking sound, closer than the others had been, swept by outside.

They'd been located.

"Why do they _do_ that?" Jack whispered, voice trembling. "Make that sound?"

"Eyes dark to the world are useless, voice and sense must take over." River read their minds as her gaze lowered to the hunting boomerang in her hand, realizing with frustration that no one could understand her.

"When will she _ever_ make sense?" Paris wailed, echoing the thoughts of most of the people in the Cargo Hold.

Iman suddenly paused. "Perhaps she means that it's the way they see, with _sound_. They send out sound waves that reflect back and give them a 'look' of their surroundings, like Earth-that-was' bats."

River beamed at the holy man.

"_Echo-location_." Fry blinked in realization, running a hand through her hair. "That's what it is…"

More clicking interrupted her, yet the clicking was coming from _behind_ them.

Johns and Fry, the ones holding the lights, twirled around to find nothing but the door of an open container about halfway down the tunnel-like hold.

A volley of uneasy looks passed between them, "How the _fuck_ did one get in here?", they seemed to ask each other.

"Maybe it was a breech in the hold." Fry answered the unspoken question. "I don't know."

More clicking filled the otherwise silent air.

Everyone's gaze turned to Johns, who'd been the only one with enough sense to bring his weapons with him--other than River with the hunting boomerang and Iman with his ceremonial dagger.

The blonde's trouble gaze was on the darkness passed the containers, and when he noticed the silence he turned and nearly jumped when he noticed every single eye on him.

Realizing that they wanted _him_ to go and check it out, he shook his head vehemently. "I'd rather piss glass."

"Well, you got the big gauges," Riddick drawled, seeming damned amused with the other man's situation.

Johns turned and glared at him hatefully. "Wanna rag your fat mouth?"

"Maybe it's just their beads again." Jack announced hopefully, motioning to the Chrislams. The first couple of minutes inside the Cargo Hold they'd realized that the beads the Chrislams wore on their clothes made clicking sounds that sounded similar to those of the creatures outside.

It'd scared the _shit_ out of them until they'd finally realized where the clicking sound was coming from.

"No, no, no." Iman shook his head. "I do not believe--."

"C'mon man," Johns turned on Iman, obviously preferring to believe the clicking was once more because of the beads and not because a monster had made its way into their little sanctuary. "You're drivin' everybody bugfuck with those things. Why don't you just lose the _gorram_--."

More clicking interrupted his speech--along with toppling cargo somewhere in the darkness.

Everyone jumped, trying to peer into the darkness behind them.

"Big beads." Riddick deadpanned.

Johns still refused to move.

"I'll do it." River announced as she tightened her grip on her hunting boomerang and took a step towards the darkness and the container when Riddick's hand shot out, his grip tight and unforgiving around her upper arm, keeping her safely within the ring of light and by his side.

Kaylee shook her head at Johns. "_Da chong wu dan_."

The mercenary turned to Kaylee a glare for having said he had 'a big gun, but no bullet', knowing she hadn't been referring to the shotgun or pistol he had on him.

As if trying to prove her wrong, he butched up, and sucked on his breather before passing his light to Paris and shimmying towards the open container. Leading with his pistol, he didn't dare leave the circle of light cast by the two lights and fired blindly into the open door of the container.

Something squealed horribly and then there was silence.

"Someone bring a _gorram_ light." He hissed, and since Paris wouldn't _budge_, Fry went to him.

Once Johns was in the direct path of the light, he eased his head towards the door to spot a few hatchlings on the floor, blasted into dog food.

He sighed in relief and turned to the others. "Okay, We're okay. Just some small ones that musta--."

River sensed it and looked up at the darkness above the two blondes in time to see something _whoosh _for Johns' head, swinging like a scythe. It caught the pistol instead, discharging it, sending it flying into the nothingness far outside the ring of light.

Paris screamed like a girl, and would have dropped his light if Jack hadn't caught it before it hit the ground.

In a second both blondes were back with the others and Fry had her light turned in the direction of the attacker, giving them a first, close-up view of an adult predator.

The creature screeched as the light fell upon it and swooped into the shadows.

"Not staying here another--." Paris didn't even finish the sentence before going for the main-lever to the Cargo Hold's door, ready to open it and flee into the night.

Shazza rushed to her feet and lunged for the little man, wrapping her arms around him, locking his arms at his side, and in a surprising show of strength, pulled him bodily away from the door.

"Lemme go! Lemme go, dammit!" Paris kicked and tried to get away, but Kaylee had thrown herself in front of the door with her arms outstretched, letting him know that if he _did_ get loose from Shazza, he wasn't getting passed her.

"You _idiot_!" Shazza let go of the struggling man, who hadn't been ready for her change of tactics and fell to the ground. "You saw what was out there!"

"I saw what's in here too!" He cried out, hurrying to his feet, looking from the darkness around them to Kaylee, the girl blocking his access to the door gave him a 'just try it' glare.

River ignored them and instead searched the darkness for the pistol. Was everyone else suddenly going to forget that they needed it just because the darkness had swallowed it greedily?

Spying a glint of silver in the darkness, River calculated its distance from the light, the fact that there were an undecided amount of creatures in the darkness, and her probabilities of getting said pistol and getting back to the light with all of her extremities, and her life.

The chances weren't very optimistic.

"Everybody come, this way and we should be safe." Iman announced, pointing to a container. "Hurry, please."

In the back of the group, River was glad when Riddick let go of her arm and took a half step in front of her. The path led to where the pistol had been tossed and forgotten. With a swift movement she jolted out of the light, gripped the metal, warmed from its previous use, and slipped back into the light before the survivors realized what had happened…but not before something had tried swiping at her hand and missing by an inch when she'd reached for the weapon.

Clicking on the 'safe' mode, she shoved it into the waist of her pants and pulled out her shirt to cover it. She didn't want Johns, or anyone else, realizing that she'd retrieved the weapon. Their ignorance would be an advantage. This way she could keep the bullets for when they were _truly_ needed, and not every time they saw a shadow.

Allowing herself to be shepparded into a large container, River felt Kaylee's hand wrap around hers when the door was slammed close.

Jack made a noise and shook his breather unit before cursing softly, putting it down without making a sound other than his nervous wheezing, trying to breathe yet terrified to make a sound and give away their location at the same time.

River passed him the breather unit she had yet to use, and shared a slight smile with the boy who gratefully took it.

There was the sound of a long scratch against metal, drawing everyone's gaze towards it.

Johns fumbled with a cutting torch abandoned on the ground and got it burning, adjusting the gas to give them better light in time for scythe-like blades to begin pounding against the metal. Suddenly heavy blows, denting the metal, drove everyone back.

"Can you do sumpin' else with that?" Riddick hissed. "_Other_ than shine it in my face?"

Taking the hint, Johns started cutting the common wall between containers with the cutting torch. It was a race between the sparks of his cutter and the blades that were now making slice holes in the seemingly indestructible metal.

A burn-outlined showed the progress of his work, and when Johns kicked out the escape hatch the first one shoved through was Jack. The others quickly speed-crawled through and Johns got to burning the other common wall as the predators were beginning to shred through the other wall.

Again and again they burnt escape hatches and managed to get through, piling up whatever cargo they could find against them right before the bloodthirsty creatures on their trail broke through to the container before theirs, clicking, sweeping, _hunting_.

It was going to be a _long _night.

* * *

Inside of their fifth container now, Johns torched away. The mercenary was obviously glad for the distraction, thus enabling himself to keep from being the chicken-shit Riddick knew he usually became when the going went tough.

Paris, Fry, Kaylee and Shazza used the cargo in the room to block the entrance hole—then blocked the cargo with their own bodies.

River had been helping up until that moment, but she pushed away, shadows playing on her frowning face, as she went to the wall and placed her palm against the cool metal. She sniffed the air and turned around, frowning at something on the ground.

Riddick followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes at the dark substance. With two long strides he's bent over it and ran his forefinger through it, bringing the substance to his nose and taking an experimental whiff.

_Pepper-shot_.

Cold dread filled him as he suspected the worst and turned, leaving the others.

"Where the hell in _he_ going?" Paris could be heard asking someone.

"Probably scoutin' the place," Shazza answered, her voice strained. "He _can_ see in the dark, 'member?"

Riddick moved to the front of the container, where the darkness prevailed. Something _squished_ under foot and he slipped off his goggles.

There were dead hatchlings on the floor.

All of Riddick's fears had proven true.

_This was the open container_ Johns had fired into.

Sensing energy, Riddick lifted his face slowly.

There was an adolescent predator squatting over cargo, eating a hatchling.

Apparently, not only were they carnivorous, but cannibalistic as well.

Surprisingly enough, only one sentence entered Riddick's mind at that moment.

_Damn, they're ugly._

As if sensing Riddick, it raised its hammer-head and swept the area with loud clicks. The creature unfurled itself from its meal and looked down at Riddick, gazes clashing in a deadly stare. It didn't move to attack the Furyan, yet seemed to challenge his superiority, as a male sensing a rival male in his territory and trying to prove his dominance.

Also, the fact that this was an adolescent, solitary creature meant that while it was fighting for supremacy it was still encoded with the urge to submit to a more dominant male.

Riddick just had to prove to him that he _was_ that dominant male.

Thus he narrowed his eyes and continued with the stare-down, allowing his inner beast to shine through his eyes and take over.

It seemed as if forever and a minute passed as they continued to stare defiantly into each other's eyes, and when the other creature flinched away it would have seemed as if he were about to win and escape with his life--but that was when he sensed _another_ creature on the cargo _above_ him.

Riddick cursed all the fates.

There was no way he could outstare or outrun these creatures. He was going to die like some _snack_ for some _gorram_--.

There was a gasp, and he growled, sensing both creatures look away from him and pay attention to the other person who'd walked into the feast-to-be.

"Don't. _Move_." He ordered, keeping his gaze on the predator before him, sensing the other jump onto the cargo above River. The murderer tried to keep the attention of the first predator on him, yet both creatures seemed intent on River, and the younger creature left him as well, going on the cargo on the other side of the first predator. Both were intent on the shivering girl who couldn't see them, yet obviously sensed their presence.

The second, older predator reached down with its scythe-like blade, probing her as if trying to discover what she was made of.

The first predator jumped to the ground before the violently trembling girl, trapping her gaze as it had Riddick, and raising one of its claws, slowly running it down her arm, slicing through her sleeve and causing a trail of blood to appear…

The elder predator clicked as it took a swipe at her hair from its perch above, grasping some of the black tendrils and tugging up viciously, arching her neck painfully towards its salivating mouth.

The predator in front of her lowered its head to her arm and its snake-like tongue escaped, running up and down the slice-mark, drinking up the blood, making slurping noises as it sucked on the short yet deep wound.

She didn't react. Her eyes were wide and empty.

Riddick cursed.

She'd gone into shock.

And for some reason the creatures had sensed her the moment she'd arrived and focused all their attentions on her--forgetting all about Riddick.

And _that_ had been their first mistake.

Reaching for his bone-shiv, Riddick gripped it by the blade, aimed, and threw it with all his might. The aim was true and the creature slurping on the blood on her screamed as the weapon pierced it from behind.

The elder creature looked up, confused, letting go of its hold on River's hair.

Riddick took advantage of the opportunity and ran towards them, grabbing the shiv still embedded in the back of the fallen creature and slicing the creature's it's back as he pulled the shiv out. The murderer grabbed a still motionless River's arm and pulled her quickly after him towards where he'd left the others.

There was a shriek of rage from the elder creature as it realized its sibling had been killed and its prey taken from its very claws.

Riddick could feel it hurrying after them, felt it gaining up on them, and right before it pounced Fry and Kaylee appeared, and Fry's light shone into Riddick's eyes blinding him.

With a howl of pain he went down, dragging River down with him.

And behind him a squeal of agonized pain erupted as the light fell upon the creature which had pursued them in the darkness. The sound of wings was interrupted by yet another scream and a loud thud, a human cry, and a metallic _clang_.

The murderer pulled his goggles over his eyes and willed the horrible headache to go away. His arms were around a still and silent River, subconsciously protecting her body with his, and if it wasn't for the rapid beating of her heart he would have wondered if she were dead.

Looking up when the light encompassed them once more, Riddick met Kaylee's frightened gaze.

"What happened?" She cried, falling to her knees next to them, tears of fear in her eyes as she realized that her friend was bleeding.

"I went out to check on something, she must have followed me." Riddick sat up, dragging the deadweight that was River up with him. "I was surrounded by two of the muthafuckas when _she_ came, and they--they forgot all about me."

Kaylee's eyes were filled with worry as she let that sink in. "A huge chunk of her hair was chopped off." She noticed what Riddick hadn't. "There's a small cut in her neck."

"And her arm."

Shazza hurried towards them, the hunting boomerang River had been using in her hand. "How is she?" She asked, pale and frightened, throwing herself to her knees next to them much like Kaylee had. "She--she gave me her boomerang when she went to look for you and told me that I'd need it. I—I—it's _impossible_ to catch! It nearly took off _my_ head when it whirled back!"

"She knew what was going to happen." Kaylee whispered, eyes widening, ignoring the latter part of what Shazza had just said.

Riddick frowned as he turned to look at the others, who were standing over the decapitated body of the creature Shazza had obviously killed with the hunting boomerang. They were more interested in figuring out why it had burnt so badly when the light had touched it than if River was fine.

"Damned _idiot_," he growled, referring to the girl shivering in his arms, whom he was unknowingly crushing in his hold. "If you knew that this was going to happen why the _hell_ did you go there?"

"The night was to stab the wolf in his back, he is one with the darkness and shouldn't be betrayed." River whispered, finally blinking, returning from wherever she'd escaped to within her mind when she'd entered shock.

If Shazza found the fact that Kaylee and Riddick had basically said that River could see the future surprising, she didn't show it. She just looked worried. "We should get you bandaged up."

Jack suddenly appeared by their side. "River! Are you okay?" He saw the blood and his eyes went. "You're hurt!" He turned to Riddick and then smiled. "Riddick saved you."

River frowned as she looked at the boy. "Voice an octave wrong. Adam lost his apple."

Jack's eyes widened and he took a step backwards.

Riddick looked up at the little boy and smirked. He'd _thought_ there was something off with him…_her_. And it was true; now that he thought about it, the child didn't have a pronounced Adam's Apple like men did.

"I wonder what she's talking about." Kaylee whispered, obviously thinking Adam losing his Apple might have something to do with their survival.

River shivered and buried herself deeper within Riddick, hiding her face in his chest and sighing contentedly.

The murderer tried not to imagine her sighing _under_ him. It _wasn't_ the moment to have inappropriate thoughts.

"The light, it hurts them!" Fry announced as she hurried over, proud of the discovery of something Kaylee had confided earlier to Riddick that River had known all along.

"Congratulations." Riddick announced sarcastically as he stood and pulled River with him. His eyes widened slightly when he felt the pistol hidden underneath her shirt, yet thanks to the goggles his expression was lost on the others.

The girl was a sneaky little tease.

Damned if that didn't make him want her more.

"C'mon, we stay here and we'll be dinner." Johns announced as he glared at Riddick and River before going to burn another escape hatch.

* * *

They were in their sixth container. Cargo had been shoved against the door and walls. The survivors gathered around Fry's hand-light, the only hand-light now that the one Jack had been holding had fallen and broken when they'd heard the sounds of the predator's screams before realizing that Riddick and River were missing.

Kaylee sat next to a crying Jack, and a wounded River. She tore at her own shirt and bandaged her friend once more since they'd been stranded on this godforsaken planet. She was worried. River hadn't ever just _disconnected_ from her present, especially in the face of danger, like Riddick said she had when the predators all turned their attention on her.

This was the woman who'd killed Reavers and a predator with her own bare hands.

So why had she reacted so violently during _this_ attack?

"One more cutting torch…one hand-light here…two more in the cabin…" She paused. "I _think_ two more…"

"Spirits," Paris piped up, looking at the pilot. Since they'd discovered that light hurt the bastards, they were looking for ways of keeping themselves completely in the path of light. "Anything above 45 proof burns well."

"How many bottles?" Fry asked, interested.

"Not sure," the little man mumbled. "_Ten_?"

Fry frowned. Obviously that wasn't enough. They were currently in Paris' container with all of his merchandise, and her eyes fell upon some very _ugly_ umbrellas. "What about _them_? Would they burn?" Seeing the look on his face she added: "If you got a receipt?"

That seemed to calm him. "Possibly."

"Awright," Fry placed her hands on her hips and turned to look at those huddled around her. "So maybe we'll have enough light."

"Enough for _what_?" Johns asked, suspicion deep in his voice.

Fry turned and glared at him as if telling him to read her mind.

River, who _could_ read her mind, spoke up for the first time since they'd entered the sixth container, her voice a little shaky for Kaylee's likes. "She wishes to journey out into the night."

Johns turned to River, eyes wide, before swinging back to a defiant looking Fry. "Oh _lady_. If you're in your right mind, I pray you go _insane_!"

The pilot ignored him, turning her attention on the others. "We can stick to the plan." She insisted. "If we get four cells back to the skiff, we're off this rock."

"I hate to ruin a beautiful theory with an ugly fact," but considering that Paris was always the voice of doom Kaylee really didn't believe him. "But that sand-cat is solar, it won't run at night."

"We'll _carry_ the cells…drag them…whatever it takes." Yet there was a tremor in the captain's voice.

Kaylee's eyes widened. Mal had had some _woozy_ ideas during his time as captain of _Serenity_, but Fry had just completely _beaten_ him in the 'Bad Ideas' department!

Go _out_ into the darkness?

At least here in the ship they had some relative safety.

But out in the infinite darkness?

They'd be dog meat!

All around her the faces of the survivors betrayed their troubled thoughts.

And was it Kaylee's idea, or was the light dimming?

"You mean…_tonight_?" Jack asked, wiping at a tear. "With all of those _things_ still out there?"

Fry nodded silently.

"Oh. Sure. Why not? Sounds like a _hoot_!" Paris sounded like he was about to have a complete mental break-down.

"Back it up." Johns interrupted. "I know this darkness is supposed to last a while if the model is correct--but do we _really_ want to go _out_ there? At least here we have some chance at safety!" His gaze rested on all those in the room before landing on Jack and River. "Look at what happened to River! And—and—think of the kid! He'll be terrified out there!"

"Oh don't use him like that!" Fry exploded, turning on her once-ally.

"Use him _for what_?" Johns growled.

"As a smokescreen for _your own_ fears!" She snapped, looking like all she wanted to do was kick the blonde out to the creatures outside.

Kaylee turned to look at Riddick and noted that he looked damned pleased with the way things were going between them, and couldn't help but wonder if he had something to do with the falling out of the power-duo.

"_Hey!"_ He narrowed his eyes, taking a menacing step towards the captain. "Why don't you _shut the fuck up_ for a moment and lemme come up with a plan that _doesn't_ involve _MASS SUICIDE_!"

Fry's eyes were dark and emotionless. "Yeah, like I'd let a _hype_ come up with plans that could concern the lives of others."

There was a gasp as everyone turned to look at Johns in horror.

He was a _hype_? A _drug addict_?

Realizing that he'd already lost a big chunk of everyone's respect; Johns pulled out his shotgun and pointed it at her. After he'd lost the pistol in the darkness he'd left his shotgun at his side and hadn't touched it until this moment.

In a movement that surprised everyone, Riddick moved in between Fry and the nose of the shotgun, which bumped the underside of his chin.

"Think of that reward, Johns." He reasoned in a 'you-know-you-can't-kill-me' voice.

"Yes, well, Riddick, you might not be the only reward I could collect." Johns spat out.

Kaylee's heart stopped when Johns' eyes quickly looked in River's direction before resting firmly on Riddick once more.

He _knew_.

The mercenary _knew_ who River was!

This wasn't good!

Wasn't good at all!

_What to do? WHAT TO DO?!_

"With that in mind," Johns continued. "I'm willing to take a cut in _your_ reward."

Riddick's face was chiseled ice. "How 'bout a cut in your _gut_?"

Johns and those witnessing this confrontation looked down to reveal the shiv Riddick held, poised and ready for evisceration.

"I won't miss _this_ time." Riddick promised in a dangerous voice.

Johns' eyes narrowed and a muscle in his cheek jerked as he looked back up at the murderer. "Oh, Trash Baby, you're gonna _regret_ this."

"Please," Iman, reminding Kaylee _once more_ of Sheppard Book, stepped in, trying to make peace. "This solves nothing. _Please_…"

There was a moment of tense silence as both rivals stared each other down, yet not surprisingly Johns was the one to step back and away from the fight, despite the fact that he had an impressive shotgun and Riddick only had a bone-shiv.

To Kaylee, that spoke _volumes_ about Johns.

Fry smiled at Riddick's back and placed a hand on his shoulder as a thank you before turning to Jack.

Kaylee heard River growl softly besides her when Fry didn't remove her hand from Riddick's shoulder.

"They're afraid of our light." Fry told the little boy, not knowing that the girl who, if properly trained, could kill her with only her brain, was glaring daggers at her. "That means we don't have to be so afraid of them."

"And you're certain that you can find the way back?" Iman asked, looking down at his two charges with fatherly worry. "Even in the dark?"

"No, I _can't_ lead us back to the skiff." Fry shook her head before giving Riddick's shoulder a little squeeze. "But _he_ can."

* * *

**Well, there you go, another chappie. Hope you all like it and the slight River-jealousy where Fry is concerned.**

**How about a review? Please?**


	7. Can't Save Them All

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROMME!!**

Hey my wonderful reviewers! Thanks for your reviews, and while I have apparently gotten WORST in my virus I still couldn't keep you all waiting and updated anyhow! FEEL THE LOVE PEOPLE!_**SharonH, SarcasticWitch**_ (once again, THANK you for reviewing MY fic), _**Mahone-chic-89, AMM3485, Angelsgift00, annoy**_ (snickers…you'll just have to wait and see)_**, Aewnaur, ShadowPhoenix17, Iridescent Twilight, LiasonFan2, 0756,**_ _**dragonmamma **_and _**Honey76. **_

* * *

Ever since they'd crashed on this godforsaken planet Kaylee had been having some very awkward conversations with River, and this had to be one of the weirdest. She'd had to explain the dynamics of possessiveness and jealousy in a relationship, and that, _no, _it _wasn't _correct to kill the 'competition'.

"But this is _good_," she stressed, as the others huddled together, listening to Fry's plan. "This _shows _that you're developing normal adult feelings. I was a little worried when you weren't jealous of my spending so much time with Simon--it would have been a normal reaction--and the fact that you _want _Riddick and are jealous because of Fry's attention show that you're undoing your programming."

"So, the desire to hurt her with my brain is normal?" River asked, voice strained, obviously doing her best to speak plainly.

"Well, not with your _brain_--most people can't do that--but to hurt or somehow cause pain to the other person involved _is _normal."

"And this is because I want the darkness for my own?" She asked slowly once more.

"Yes."

"And if the darkness coveted the stars, he _too _would feel this emotion if the stars twinkled at the moon?"

"No." Kaylee couldn't help but feel proud at how better she understood River now that they'd had to spend so much time together in such close contact. "Simon _wouldn't _elicit that feeling in Riddick because Simon's your brother, and Riddick would realize that he couldn't steal you from him like _that_."

"Oh." River seemed to be thinking very seriously before looking up. "But any member of the male gender which does _not _carry my DNA code within him _would _elicit the response desired?"

" In a nutshell." Kaylee nodded.

River tapped her bottom lip with her finger for a moment. "So if this girl were to be close to a male not of her DNA and the wolf were to howl, it would mean he finds her shiny and wishes her for himself?"

Kaylee wondered about the light in River's eyes, and then frowned when she saw the younger girl looking thoughtfully in Johns' direction. "River, _no_." She warned, not needing to be a psychic to know what was going through her friend's head at the moment. "He's dangerous. He _knows _you're on the dodge."

Maybe, if River realized Johns knew she was wanted by the police she would rethink her little plan.

"I know." River announced before turning and heading towards Johns, who was off in a corner a little ways from Fry's group, looking at his shotgun.

Kaylee noticed Riddick looking up and following River's movements towards the blonde mercenary with a scowl on his face.

Well, if River had wanted Riddick to notice her she'd certainly gotten her way.

Hopefully Riddick didn't kill Johns before her curiosity was sated.

* * *

"I wondered about the silence," River announced, watching with satisfaction as Johns looked up at her in surprise. Obviously he hadn't heard her coming towards him and the revelation bothered him considerably.

"Silence, princess?" Johns asked, forcing a casual smirk on his face as he gave her a once over.

"In your brain." River clarified, giving _him _a once over as well, deciding that he was aesthetically pleasing and that if she hadn't known of Riddick she could have found herself attracted to him. "There is a silence there unlike the others. Their thoughts are loud and constant."

He was silent for a moment before looking her over. "You know I know."

She nodded, tilting her head to the side and once more trying to probe his mind, coming up with silence. "It's the drugs." She determined. "They keep you painless and your thoughts silent," she couldn't help but smile. "It is a rest for my brain."

Realizing that she wasn't being hostile with him, Johns suddenly smirked. "Glad to be of service."

Wondering if he was like Riddick, silent in the brain yet communicating through touch, River surprised the blonde by placing her fingers on the side of his face and slowly lowering them down the curve of his jaw, not even blinking when the rapid images and feelings filled her.

His hand grasped her wrist and pulled her closer to him, jarring her out of the vision of herself.

River noted with scientific detachment that despite the fact that she found him visibly appealing, his touch did nothing to her. It was like Simon's touch.

"Trying to say something, princess?" His voice was deeper, his temperature hotter, and his heartbeat had increased.

Going through the symptoms he was experiencing and a possible reason for this sudden change in his body, River blinked, suddenly stumbling upon the surprising answer. He was…_attracted_…to her.

"You were there, at the Maidenhead." She told him, remembering having seen herself after being triggered by the commercial, fighting all the large, sweaty, armed men in the Maidenhead until Simon had appeared, called out her name, and untriggered her into sleep with the phrase taught him by those who'd helped him rescue her from the Academy.

Intrigued by this revelation, River forgot the reason of this experiment.

"Yeah," Johns nodded, not letting go of her wrist or letting her pull away. "Watched you from the moment you came in, and before I could get up and ask ya if ya wanted a drink, you started beatin' the _ruttin' _hell outta all the men around you."

He chuckled. "Made me reconsider askin' ya if you wanted the drink—but just a little. Later saw the waves looking for Simon and River _Tam_, but I hadn't put it all together until you went all warrior princess again with the boomerang." With his other hand he trailed a finger up her long neck, once again invoking _nothing_, not even a little _tremble_. "You had that same emptiness in your eyes."

She nodded. Whenever she fought there was an emotional detachment as her feelings and every that made her human were pushed back and the weapon took over.

"You know," his hand went to her hair much like the creature had. "I'm more interested in you joinin' my crew than turnin' ya in."

River tilted her head to the side, examining him, realizing he was telling the truth.

"Easier to catch the _hun dans_ if I have a _gorram_ _reader_ working with me." He went on to explain, as if she hadn't guessed the reason why he wanted her working for him.

A shadow fell over them and Johns jerked to see Fry and Riddick standing over them, one looking smug and the other looking deadly.

River wasn't surprised, she'd sensed them coming.

"Let's go do this?" Fry asked, smirk on her face as she looked at how close Johns had River to him. "Or are you two busy?"

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you." Johns informed her before giving Riddick a smirk and making show of letting go of River's arm and hair.

River tried to appear uncaring, yet when Riddick's arm shot up and his fingers curled brutishly around her upper arm, jerking her back with him as he stalked away she couldn't help but stifle a giggle. Even with his mental block he was pissed enough to let a few words (_…fucker…__**mine**__…gonna ruttin' KILL the bastard…)_ slip through.

She sought Kaylee's eyes and gave her a quick, triumphant grin, letting the other girl know that the mission had been a redundant success.

Kaylee smiled and shook her head at her childlike glee.

"The darkness thinks the stars are shiny." River told Riddick confidently as he continued to drag her away from the mercenary.

Riddick's grip on her tightened painfully. "The _darkness_ will throw the _ruttin'_ stars over its _knee_ and slap the _gou shi_ outta them the next time they let that _hun dan_ touch them." He promised her darkly in a deep whisper.

"The canary placed her claws on the darkness, and the darkness remained silent. When the fox hunted, hungry with bloodlust, the darkness covered the canary, hiding and protecting it from its doom." River pointed out, trying not to let her resentment at the memory show.

"_Canary_?" He stopped and looked at her with a frown before turning to look behind them at Fry and snorted in amusement. "I see."

She didn't like the shift in his mood. All of a sudden he'd become horribly _smug_.

"Canaries have no place in the dark of the night." Riddick slanted a gaze at her, smirk in the place. "They only sing in the day."

River blinked, looking up at him in surprise. He was speaking her language!

Shaking his head, Riddick chuckled deep within his throat and let go of her, walking towards the others.

* * *

The Cargo Hold's doors opened.

Mixed for maximum light, the cutting torch was pushed outside and swept around to ward off any creature that might be hanging around, waiting for them to appear. Riddick, Fry and the rest stepped out into the night and slowly made their way through the darkness, most trying to ignore the primal sounds coming from just outside the circle of light.

They soon reached the darkened Main Cabin.

"Riddick." Fry ordered.

The murderer felt Johns' anxiety behind him, his fear of the darkness and all that was behind him, and while Riddick realized that he couldn't kill him now for touching what Riddick had decided was _his_, that didn't mean he had to save the mercenary if something decided to eat him.

Pulling up his goggles he took a step into the darkness and looked around the inside of the Main Cabin. While there was a lot of wreckage, he couldn't see anything but…_ah_…there was a young predator near the entrance.

He paused, feeling Johns growing more and more fidgety with each second, a smirk appearing on his face as he pulled back on his goggles and turned to the others.

"Looks clear."

Behaving as Riddick had guessed, no sooner had the news escaped his lips did Johns shoulder passed him rapidly towards the entrance, Fry and the others following rapidly behind.

Just as Johns entered the Main Cabin, the predator, sensing the light, buzzsawed over his head and, fleeing the cabin, took off into the night outside.

Riddick was somewhat disappointed that the creature hadn't taken the mercenary's head with him.

"_Fuck me_." Johns cursed, and turned an accusing glare at Riddick. "You said it was 'clear!'"

"Said 'looks clear'." Riddick replied truthfully, keeping his face straight and emotionless despite the smirk that wanted to curl his lips.

"Well, what does it look like _now_?" Johns growled out, exasperation and suspicion dark in his voice.

Pulling off his goggles once more, Riddick rechecked before giving the blonde a blank look. "Looks clear."

Johns narrowed his eyes at him.

Fry sighed in disgust from somewhere behind them. "Just get the _gorram_ lights on!"

River made passed them and entered the darkened cabin, the others scrambling in quickly after her, Johns following once he realized that light was leaving them behind.

Smirking at the blonde's back, Riddick tongue-clicked just for the heck of it, and from the tensing of the other man's back, the murderer confirmed it'd fooled him for a moment.

Snorting, Riddick pushed passed him into the Main Cabin.

Fry and Johns were just _too easy_ to manipulate sometimes.

With River holding the cutting torch in the middle of the room to keep away the creatures of the, boomerang fastened to her belt, everyone got to work powering up the cabin's lights.

When that was accomplished, Riddick watched River turn off the cutting torch to save its light and help Shazza and Kaylee threading nylon through Paris' misting umbrellas, filling the reservoirs with high-octane liquor, and swapping out O-2 containers. They also got another cutting torch and found a supply of hand-lights.

Riddick and Johns yanked out four power cells from the batter bay and left them by the door so that when they were finished they'd be able to grab them quickly. The one cell left in the battery bay gave them dim light, yet it was enough to keep them safe for now.

Realizing that Johns and Fry weren't there with them, Riddick wondered where they were. He didn't like leaving them together because there was always the chance that considering the fact that they would most probably die here, and knowing how sentimental Fry seemed to be, she'd probably want to make peace with the mercenary before they started the journey.

It wasn't that he cared if they were friends. Usually he wouldn't have given it a bat of an eyelash, but they were the power-duo of the group, the leaders, and together they were strong and stupid. He needed to keep them clashing if he wanted a chance of getting off this planet.

He snorted, turning his goggles in the direction of River, his favorite scenery of late.

It was amusing to think that she been jealous of _Fry_.

Sure, he'd stepped in and saved the blonde's life, but it wasn't because he _gave a shit_ about what happened to her.

No.

Riddick was a smart person, he knew that with Fry gone Johns would automatically assume the role of leader of the group, and things would go to hell fast for Riddick if Johns became _El Gran Jefe_. So while he needed to keep Fry and Johns fighting, he needed to make sure the woman was alive as well--at least until they'd made it back to the skiff.

_Johns_ on the other hand, would be getting no help from Riddick. Not only was the _hun dan_ planning on betraying him, but he'd dared put his hands on River, and Riddick wasn't about to forget that.

"It's time." Fry announced, arriving with a scowling Johns behind her.

Riddick smirk.

Peace had _yet_ to be achieved.

Good.

_Very_ good.

* * *

River watched as the light died, then suddenly there was the light of a burning wick. Alcohol mist shot across the flame to create a fireball. The two two umbrella torches were held by Shazza and Kaylee. The fabric already burnt away, they belched out fireballs into the night. By the light provided by that, the hand-lights Jack and the two young disciples of Iman were using, and the cutting torches in Fry's and River's hands, she could see Iman chained into the first harness of the drag-sled they'd brought with them.

Outside air caressed their skin as Johns, who stood next to Iman, fumbled with the second harness until Riddick helped him into the chains. Mercenary and fugitive shared a look between them, and River couldn't help but see the irony of the prisoner helping his captor into chains.

Fry, ever the leader, turned to the others, ignoring the sounds of the creatures around them. "Keep the light going." She gave them all a long stare. "That's all we have to do to get out of this alive. Just keep your lights burning."

Riddick looped a hand-light around his neck, placing it to shine light on his back; a beacon to the others so they would always know his location while he was ahead of them.

"Be runnin' 'bout 10 paces ahead." He informed their blonde leader, goggles pulled up and silver eyes on the darkness around them. "I want the light on my back--but not in my eyes. And check your cuts," he announced as an afterthought. "These things know our blood now."

"Don't worry," Kaylee whispered, and River turned to see her brother's love smiling down at Jack, who'd gone completely pale. "You're going to be safe."

River narrowed her eyes and focused on the child, ignoring the others' thoughts until she only heard the young girl's. When she heard the fears in the child's head her eyes widened and she involuntarily took a head back.

The child was beginning her _menstruation_!

"Kaylee," She spoke so that only her friend could hear her. "Keep Jack closer to the light. The smell will tempt them yet they will stay back if _he_ remains closer to the light."

Kaylee obviously didn't understand _what_ smell River was talking about, but instinctively moved the young girl in drag towards the light, closer to the sled as well.

Jack looked back at River, mentally asking herself if River _knew_.

The elder girl nodded.

Jack's eyes widened.

Having missed the exchange between Fry and Riddick, River looked up when the drag-sled began to move.

They began to run, Riddick the eyes, was in front, with Fry behind him with a cutting torch, and Johns and Iman pulling the sled with the four power cells and eight bottles of booze from in front. Iman's two disciples, Hasan and Sulieman, pushed it from behind, handlights shining light on their backs much like Riddick, so nothing would come at them from behind.

Shazza and Kaylee each held an umbrella torch, fireballs blazing, while Jack was situated between Kaylee and the sled, holding a handlight.

Paris and River, each holding an umbrella torch and cutting torch respectively, came up in the back despite Johns' insistence on River and Fry switching places.

River sensed the creatures gliding in the air above them, and lurking in the darkness around them, waiting for their opportunity, yet she decided not to mention it because Pairs was stumbling in fear enough as it was, sweeping his umbrella torch back and forth, every shadow a threat.

She was also sure that she smelt _urine_ on him, yet ignored the stench, eyes on the creatures she knew were hiding around her, clicking, following them from behind, and sniffing her scent.

This reminded her too much of the encounter she'd just had with those two creatures when she'd gone looking for Riddick. While she'd know that he was in trouble and that if she didn't go there and shoot the creatures they'd eat him, she couldn't understand what'd happened to her once she'd laid eyes on them up close.

It was as if there'd been instant _recognition_.

Shivering, River looked behind her once more, seeing a shadow swerve just beyond the reach of the light.

The creatures hadn't descended upon her with fury as they had when they'd attacked Ali and Shazza. They'd crept up onto her, circling her, and then they'd _slowly_ begun slicing her skin and placing their mouth to her cuts, leisurely feeding from her, taking their time. They hadn't consumed her in a flurry, tearing her skin from her body and dislocating bones.

The difference in the feeding disturbed her.

As had how she'd gone cold and paralyzed with fear and another unmentionable emotion the those creatures.

"Riddick. _Riddick_." Fry was heard right before the sled stopped. They all hustled closer to said object and into the stronger beams of light.

"Where are the sand tracks?" Fry asked, sounding irritated and nervous. "Why aren't we following the tracks of the sand-cat anymore?"

"Saw something I didn't like," was Riddick's vague answer.

"Such _as_…" Johns prompted.

"Hard to tell, even for me." Riddick admitted in a slow, thoughtful voice. "But it looked like a bunch of those big boys chewin' each other's gonards off." He paused to let that sink in. "Thought we'd swing wide. Okay by you?"

That brought the confrontation to a halt.

Paris gulped and looked behind him into the darkness, as if trying to find the scene Riddick had just depicted. Nearby clicking caused him to cry out and jump.

"Let's move." Fry ordered before turning to Jack with a reassuring smile. "Just a detour. He'll get us there."

More clicking sounded closer to River than she remembered the creatures being brave enough to venture.

Paris noticed this as well and twirled around to look at Fry. "Can we switch?"

"What," Fry asked, looking confused. "Switch what?"

" I think I twisted my ankle running backwards like that. And I am not sure I…" Seeing the disbelieving stares he was receiving from the other, he took in a deep breath and tried once again. "Okay, that's a lie. I just don't want to be in the back here anymore. If you could just give me a few minutes up there in front--."

"Don't be such a fuckin' _coward_ man!" Shazza snapped, sick of all of his groaning and complaining, of his acting as if every one of them weren't in the same danger. "Look at River, she was _attacked_ by those _gorram _creatures and she's there in da back with you and _she_ ain't complainin'!"

Paris bristled, squaring his shoulders. "I think River's proven to be a little warrior princess and with that little boomerang she has a better chance at surviving this!" He stomped his foot. "It is _my_ booze and _my_ umbrellas that are allowing us to get this far and I _demand_ that I get to switch places with the captain _up front_!"

"She's the _pilot_," Johns, surprisingly enough, stuck up for Fry. "She should stay close to the cells."

"Oh, so we're all _dispensable_ then?" Paris snapped, face coloring in his righteous indignation. "Is _that_ what you're saying?"

"_I'll_ switch with you." Kaylee offered, pushing Jack to the other side of the sled to stand next to Shazza, and made her way back to where Paris was hurriedly and happily making his way further up to in front.

"You should have stayed up there in the front." River told her softly as they began walking once more. "It's more dangerous back here."

"Yes, well, you're bleedin' and injured and someone should be here keepin' an eye on _you_." Kaylee sniffed, yet there was a slight mischievous expression on her face.

River looked at her sideways. "Your aura is mixed up. What do you know?"

"Can't you read my mind, _Mei-Mei_?" Kaylee quipped, smiling fully and lowering her voice softly so that no one else could hear their conversation.

"Too many voices, everyone thinking." River shook her head. "Confusing, can't make out only one."

Nodding in understanding, Kaylee huddled a little closer to River, lowering her voice. "I forgot to tell you earlier that before you and Zeke were attacked I activated the tracking device Simon gave us."

River's eyes widened, she'd forgotten all about _her_ tracking device. Anyway, it was in the sole of her boots--and she'd left her boots behind a long time ago.

"And right before we left the Main Cabin, I checked on it." Kaylee whispered, eyes sparkling despite their life-threatening situation. "The light had turned _yellow_!"

"Mother is near." River whispered, letting herself have yet _another_ reason to hope to survive this now that she knew that _Serenity_ was near.

Kaylee smiled beautifully. "They're fine. They're coming for us." She reached out and clasped River's hand, squeezing it happily. "We're going to be saved."

"Light, please light here." Paris' voice is heard asking somewhat frantically at his new position as side-guard.

Still moving, Shazza trained her light on Paris while he refueled, and for a brief moment, Jack was left in the shadows.

Suddenly River felt it.

_Death_.

Feeling one of the creatures above leave its group and descend upon the earth at a break-neck speed, River looked up at the darkness. "Above! Above!" She screamed.

Everyone looked up, yet no one could see what River was screaming about, no one could see the creature dive-bombing for Jack, clicking at a high-velocity like an incoming missile.

At the last nanosecond Suleiman must have noticed the shift in the shadows because he threw himself at Jack and flattened the girl to the sand. The scythe-like blades swing at the Arabic boy protecting Jack with his own body yet miss by inches, soaring up into the air with a screech of pain as Shazza quickly twirled around and aimed her umbrella torch at it.

The confusion had jostled everyone around, as everyone had ducked and taken cover.

Yet the predator wasn't returning…

…so why didn't _Grim_ go away?

"Suleiman!" Iman called out in fear. "Are you well? Have you been cut?!" There was silence. "Someone, _please_ tell me if he's been cut!"

Keeping her umbrella torch in front of her, Shazza pulled up the terrified, yet untouched children up to their feet and back into the circle of protective light. "They's fine. Young Suleiman saved our lil' Jack." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're a brave, good man, son, riskin' yer life like that."

The young Chrislam blushed at her praise.

Kaylee hurried over to Jack and, passing her umbrella torch to Suleiman, hugged the young girl to her heart. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?"

"I—I'm fine." Jack's voice trembled.

River ignored them, looking around, eyes narrowed.

_Grim _was near.

It wasn't over yet.

"I dropped and broke my light." Iman said in a soft voice.

"We'll just get Paris to walk closer to you." Fry announced and then turned to order the small man to do so.

That's when everyone noticed what River had moments ago.

Paris wasn't there, his umbrella torch dropped on the ground.

River looked deep within the shadows, where she could feel creatures congregating. "He's back there." She whispered to herself.

Somehow, amidst the confusion, Paris must have run away to get away from the flyer, yet he'd dropped his umbrella torch in his haste to get away.

His terror as he realizes his condition shoots into her, and River screamed as she was forced to feel what he felt, her psychic powers picking up his extreme terror. She felt the sprain he'd gotten when running away, felt the fear as he tried to get back to them, felt when he was slashed from behind.

"River!" Kaylee was at her side once more, bending next to her, keeping the light around her. "What's wrong? What's _wrong_!?"

It was as if the night had claws.

"_Oh, sweet Jesus_…" His voice carried to her as he fell to his knees in the sand once more.

Blood flew from the wound in his back, the wound that burnt River as if it were her own.

The clicking stopped.

"_Oh, sweet Jesus_, WILL YOU GET ME SOME LIGHT OVER HERE?!" Paris screamed, helping the others, who'd been searching the darkness everywhere around them, to find his location.

Faces whipped around, but before their lights could save him, Paris was gone, snatched away but a swooping blur.

Light-beams jump fitfully in the air, vainly searching for the creature that'd taken Paris from them.

River _felt_ when the creature drove its scythe-like blades through Paris' back, and she bent over, coughing up blood.

Suddenly, Paris' fear and pain disappeared, as did River's morbid connection to him, and she sensed the Grim leave, sated…for _now_.

A hand gripped River's upper arm and pulled her up. She looked dazedly into Riddick's goggles, which he'd obviously put back on before returning to the light--and her.

The murderer looked at her silently before raising a hand and wiping at the small stream of blood running down the side of her mouth, rubbing the drops between the pads of his thumb and finger.

Putting a supportive arm around her small frame, realizing that she was still suffering the aftermaths of the psychic connection with the deceased, Riddick turned and pulled off his goggles now that his back was to the light again, and looked out into the darkness.

With Riddick touching her, River felt her night-sight improving so that she could make out what it was he watched so intently.

He was watching the predators feasting upon Paris' dead body.

Carrying a youngling on her back, a female predator arrived late and couldn't make it through the tight huddled predators tearing at whatever flesh they could come into contact with. With shocking apathy the female whipped the youngling from her back and began devouring it, hunger defeating motherly instincts without much of a fight.

Other predators started in-fights, killing each other for the food that the planet obviously lacked and couldn't give them.

"What do you see?" Fry asked from Riddick's other side. "_Riddick_?"

"Hunger." He replied in a flat voice, gaze never having left the predators feasting. "60 years of hunger."

* * *

**Translations:**

_Ruttin': Fucking_

_Gou Shi: Shit_

_Hun dan: Bastard_

**I have to admit, I'm enjoying writing this story immensely. Pitch Black is my favorite movie, and I've always wanted to write a fanfic based on what happens on the island, and joining River, and I love writing Riddick/River scenes.**

**For some reason I DIDN'T want IMAN saving Jack. I think the other Chrislams didn't get any airtime unless they were being killed, so I decided to be a little fairer and let SULEIMAN be the one to save Jack.**

**Oh well, how about reviewing?**


	8. Change of Plans

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROM ME!!**

WHOOHOO! SO many good reviews! I'm really happy to have such faithful reviewers! Thank you all for brightening my day in bed: _**SharonH, Aewnaur **_(who in their right mind WOULDN'T be obsessed with Riddick:D)_**, hinata15, Mahone-chic-89, Fair Trade Organic, Angelsgift00, ShadowPhoenix17, Mach Farcon, anony **_(thanks for the advice),_**A1kyndria**_ (by steamy, I assume u mean sex :laughs at the DUH!!: …and while I don't see that happening while they're running for their lives, I DO have planned a sex-scene between Rid/Riv, so don't you worry about that!)_**, MissBe**_ (that was my favorite part of the movie too, so funny)_**, AnnaALF, Birdy, A Friend, A Friend, Iridescent Twilight **_(you have NO IDEA how much I enjoyed writing the Johns/River/Riddick jealousy scene!)_**ForeveranADay**_ (glad you liked my other work. **Best Laid Plans** just got nominated for 'best comedy' at the **Dramoine Awards**, so I'm psyched), **AND** _**Honey76.**_

_A/N: __**IMPORTANT! READ THIS! **__I'm ONCE AGAIN changing up how events happen in this story than how they happened in the movie. Like, someone you might have wanted dead will be very much alive, and someone you wanted to survive will die. I __**hated**__ writing this chapter._

* * *

Into a rising wind, and with heavy hearts at the loss of Paris, the survivors trudged on.

Jack had given Iman her hand-light to wear around his neck, and she now held Paris' umbrella torch, refueled and coughing fireballs at regular intervals. Kaylee had been traveling in the back with River until Fry's cutting torch sputtered and died. The blonde had promptly thrown it away into the darkness and taken the umbrella torch from Jack, forcing Kaylee to leave River and go stand next to Jack to keep the boy and the right side of the sled covered in light.

"Bottle count." Fry ordered when she returned to the front.

"Four fulls, one half." Jack counted quickly before looking up at Kaylee nervously. "That means we're halfway there?"

Kaylee wished that she could tell Jack what he needed to hear, but she didn't want to lie to him either. "Probably."

She looked up with a sigh. Jack had asked the question none of them wanted to ask. They'd all been content following the light on Riddick's back, but the man hadn't spoken to them after resuming their journey, and Kaylee couldn't help but feel that they'd been walking _forever_.

"Can we pick up the pace?" Fry ordered in an impatient voice, obviously worried that they'd run out of light before they reached the settlement and the skiff.

"_If you think you can do better_," Johns growled, letting the sentence dangle. He abruptly slapped an arm across Iman's chest, gaze wide and down on the sand before him.

Kaylee looked down at _her_ feet, wondering if there was something she'd missed.

The sound of the shotgun ratcheting caused her gaze to jerk back up in time to see Johns out of his chains, moving forwards, and jamming the nose of the shotgun into the back of Riddick's neck.

The mechanic's eyes opened in shock. _What_ was Johns _doing_?

"We aren't _completely_ stupid." Johns growled in a dangerous voice that could have rivaled Riddick's.

Everyone halted, frozen, eyes wide, watching the confrontation and wondering what had happened to trigger it.

"Stay in the light!" Fry called out, as if anyone was planning on having a nice stroll into the darkness around them. "Everyone! Stay in the fuckin'--."

"We crossed our own paths," Iman turned to Hasan and Suleiman, voice grave.

"He's runnin' us 'round in circles!" Johns turned his head towards the others, the nose of his shotgun _still_ pressed against Riddick's neck firmly. "Look for yourself. _Look_!"

"_Riddick_?" Fry's voice was hurt and angry. "What the hell are you--?"

"You all _think_ too loud and don't _listen_." River scolded them, looking insulted at their clueless state.

The survivors looked at each other in confusion.

Riddick snorted at their silent confusion, shaking his head slightly. "_Listen_."

Kaylee knew that she'd mentally tried blocking out the sounds of what was going on around her on purpose to keep from going insane with fear at the constant reminder that blood-thirsty creatures were all around them, in the dark, waiting for the lights to go out so they could devour them without mercy.

She guessed the others had done the same thing.

But now that she'd been told to _listen_, she strained her ears, and her eyes widened in horror as she finally realized _what_ River and Riddick obviously had known for a while now.

The sound of a hundred Geiger-counters next to a truckload of titanium rode the wind around them.

They were close to a _helluvan_ army of creatures!

"Canyon ahead," Riddick had yet to turn to them. "I circled once to buy some time to think."

"'Bout what?" Shazza asked, more curious than pissed.

"About how to kill us and still get these cells to the skiff!" Johns exploded, sending her an ugly glare. "_Gorramit_, we're just doin' the heavy lifting for this prick!"

"I was talkin' to _Riddick_." Shazza replied coolly, glaring right back at Johns.

Riddick ignored Johns and answered Shazza. "About the girl."

"Girl?" Fry made up her nose, obviously wondering _who_ he was talking about since there were four females in the group of survivors.

"Also been wond'ring what it's gonna be like when we hit that canyon." Riddick's voice was emotionless. "With her bleeding."

"Who are you jaw-jacking about?" Johns asked, obviously reluctantly believing what the murderer said.

Kaylee turned to look behind her at River in worry. "River?" Her heart skipped a beat. "Why didn't you tell us that your wounds opened back up?" She was worried; River might have been bleeding to death and hadn't told anyone!!

"He's not talking about _me_." River announced before looking at…_Jack_?!

It hit Kaylee like a two-by-four as she remembered River mentioning voices an octave wrong, Adam's Apples and _smells_. "_Jack_!"

The child looked around _her_ in terror, stuttering, close to tears. "I didn't want everyone to leave me there…back at the ship…that's why I didn't say anything…"

"No, we'd never…" Kaylee passed Hasan her umbrella torch and went to her knees, pulling the crying girl into her arms. "Oh _God_, honey…you should have told us. We wouldn't have left you. I _swear_ that to you, but you should have _told us_!"

"I'm so sorry!" Jacks cried, hugging Kaylee with all her strength. "_So_ sorry! I was just _so frightened!_"

Johns lowered his shotgun from Riddick's neck, finally getting it. "Aw, this can't be happenin' to me…"

Pulling on his goggles, Riddick _finally_ turned around and stepped into the light. "They been nose-open for her since we left. They go off blood."

Kaylee held the shivering child closer, completely understanding and agreeing with Riddick's decision _not_ to go straight through that camp of predators while knowing this.

The light on them grew brighter, and Kaylee looked up to see that Suleiman had taken the umbrella torch from Hasan and taken a step closer to them.

She smiled at him in thanks.

"Well, we must keep _her _close, then." Iman finally broke the silence that'd descended on them. "Here, she'll be safe if we put her between--."

Riddick scanned the darkness around them. "There _is_ no 'safe'."

Kaylee shivered, wondering what it was he saw that made him so sure of that.

Another beat of silence passed as the wind gusted, the flames chattered, and the canyon's sounds moved almost _bodily_ around them.

"It's not going to work." Fry announced. "We gotta go back."

Johns brayed with little amusement. "Hey, _you're_ the one who got me out here an' turned me into a _gorram_ sled dog!" He rounded on her. Lately his relationship with Fry was most volatile than his relationship with _Riddick_. "An' _now_ you 'spect me to go back like a _whipped_ dog?"

"I was wrong," obviously trying to keep her anger and tears in check, Fry glared at the mercenary. "My bad, okay? I didn't _know_ all the particulars or I wouldn't have suggested us going out!" She snapped at him. "Now let's just get back to the ship!"

"I dunno." Johns sneered at her, eyes blazing with dark fury. "Nice breeze, wide open spaces--you know, I'm startin' to _enjoy_ myself out here!"

"Are you fuckin' _high_ again?!" Fry screamed, fury taking over her desire to cry. "Just listen to--."

"No, no, no, no. You're right, Fry." Johns interrupted with false compliancy. "What's to be afraid of? My life is a steamin' pile of meaningless toadshit _anyhow_." He seemed to be quoting Fry, yet Kaylee didn't remembering hearing that conversation. "So I say _mush on_! Canyon's only couple hundred meters, after that we're in Skiff City! So why don't you just butch up, stuff a _cork_ in that kid, and get--."

" She's the captain," Iman interrupted, obviously angry at Johns for his lack of respect towards their leader. "We should--."

" Listen to her? _Her_?" Johns threw his head back and laughed cynically. "When she was willing to sacrifice _us all_?"

A beat passed and everyone's eyes turned to Fry, who looked pale and desperate to say something, yet couldn't.

Kaylee's heart stopped.

Was what Johns had just said _true_?

"What's he talkin' 'bout?" Jack asked in a soft, frightened voice.

"You wanna know _what_ your fearless little leader's _really_ like?" Johns asked, turning his attention on the little girl. "Well, little _Jackie, _during the crash--."

Fry growled warningly in her throat. "_This doesn't help us, Johns_."

"--Carolyn Fry tried to blow the whole _ruttin'_ passenger cabin." Johns ignored Fry and continued on, as if feeding from the pain and surprise in the air. "Tried to kill us all--."

"Shut _up_!" Fry screamed out, yet wasn't denying the charges.

"--tried to _kill us all_ in our _sleep_." Johns tore his gaze from a shocked Jack and let it roam over the rest of the survivors. "Paris had it _right_, we _are_ dispensable." He waited a beat before adding: "We're just walking _ghosts_ to her."

"_WOULD YOU RAG YOUR STUPID HOLE?!_" Fry rushed at him, ready to rip his eyes out, yet he easily shunted her aside.

"We're not alive _because_ of her--," he sneered down at the shaking Fry contemptuously. "We're alive _in spite_ of her." His words swung beneath the belt and connected…_hard._

Kaylee looked back at a silent River, mentally asking her if it was a lie, or if Johns was telling them was the truth.

There was a pause as River looked slightly uncomfortable before nodding. "The fox is sly, yet his words are truth."

Fry's chin quivered and her knees apparently gave out on her, the undertow of events bringing her to her knees on the sand in a defeated mess.

"We _can't_ go through there…" She whispered, voice trembling with the tears she was shedding.

Johns sneered. "I don't think _anyone_ gives a rat's ass what _you_ think anymore, _captain_."

Iman pushed him back, and helped a shaky Fry up, glaring up at the mercenary. "Fine, fine, you've made your point. We can all be as scared as you are now."

Johns shouldered his shotgun, reminding everyone of the advantage he had over them. "Verdict's in. The light moves _forwards_." With that he walked out ahead of them, ignoring his now abandoned harness.

The others quickly rearranged themselves so that each side still had a light, and Jack was in the brightest section. Suleiman took Jack's place and pulled the harness over him, helping Iman pull the sled through the darkness as Hasan continued to push from behind.

They trudged on, slower than before, building reserves for the canyon-run. At rear-point with River, Fry followed like a broken rudder, and while Kaylee's loving nature wanted her to try and comfort the other woman, she couldn't help but feel betrayed by someone she'd put her whole trust in, and so she remained silent.

No one noticed as, up ahead, Johns joined Riddick.

* * *

Riddick had a lot on his mind.

Too much had happened in the last couple of minutes, and the worst had occurred, Ol' Saint Johns had taken over the leadership of the group like any tyrant on Earth-That-Was, and Riddick knew that if he didn't really think things out this could be his end.

He felt the merc coming towards him and faintly wondered if he was stupid enough to shoot him now that the leadership…_and_ the Big Gauge…was in his hands.

"Ain't all of us gonna make it." Johns announced, breaking the silence in a surprisingly civil manner.

Obviously he'd realized that he'd broken all alliances back in the group and was looking to form one with Riddick.

_That_ could prove useful.

"Just realized that, huh?" Riddick snorted, eyes constantly around them.

There was clicking nearby and Johns blasted into the night, driving away the sound, _and_ reminding those behind them _who_ had the Big Gauge.

"Ten of us left." He replied casually. "If we could get through that canyon and lose one or two, that'd be quite a fuckin' feat, huh? Anyway, that skiff is mighty small, mightn't even be able to take off with the weight of _ten_ people on board." He paused. "So us losing one or two would be _good_ thing, right?"

"Not if _I'm_ one of the 'one or two'." Riddick snorted.

"What if you're one of eight or seven?"

Riddick paused momentarily, giving the mercenary a look that said '_I'm listening_.'

"It's hellified stuff, but no different from those battlefield doctors during the Unification War, when they had to decide who lived and who died." Johns announced, speaking of the great Unification War between the Browncoats and the Alliance several years ago, in which the Alliance had won and '_unified'_ the universe. "It's called 'triage', okay?"

Riddick shook his head in wry amusement. "Kept calling it 'murder' when _I_ did it."

"Either way," Johns shook that aside, not rising to the bait. "Figured it's something you can grab onto."

"Sacrifice play." Riddick put it into simpler, _cruder_ terms. "Hack up a body or two and leave them at the start of the canyon. Like a bucket of chum."

"No, no, I think we should _trawl_ with it." Johns shook his head, obviously quite _serious_ with this plan of his. "There's a cable on the sled. We can drag the body _behind_ us."

"Nice embellishment." Riddick's sarcasm was lost on the blonde.

"Don't wanna _feed_ these landsharks," he announced with a scowl. "Just keep 'em off our scent."

"So, which ones caught your eye?" Riddick looked back, purposely meeting River's gaze and letting down the mental shield he'd learnt to erect years ago to keep his thoughts secret.

Her eyes widened as she understood the warning he gave her, and nodded discreetly.

"Don' look, don' look, don' look!" Johns' nervous voice brought his gaze back on the blonde. When he was calm once more, Johns continued. "I'm thinking the little transvestite and maybe the two kids of the Chrislam. They'd put up less of a fight and would be easier to gut."

Only a _coward_ would pick off the _kids_ of any group when there were adults available, yet Riddick kept that comment to himself. The more and more Johns spoke, the more Riddick wondered what made Johns the _good_ guy and what made _him_ the bad one. They were quite similar, except Johns was a lot more fucked up and a coward to _boot_.

"What's her name, anyway?" Riddick asked, referring to Jack, wondering _how_ callous Johns could be.

"_Jacqueline_?" Johns guessed, obviously irritated by the question. "What do you care?"

Riddick shrugged. He _didn't_ care; he'd just wanted to know how much _Johns_ didn't care.

"Then let's not name the Thanksgiving turkey, okay?" The blonde looked to the right when there was _another_ click, and fired off another shot into the dark before continuing. "I assume you still got a shiv."

" What, you 'spect _me_ to do it?" Riddick scoffed, not believing the _pussy_ Johns was.

"What's one or two—or _three_—more for you?" Johns reasoned as if discussing the weather. "Like _these_ killings are going to be the ones to send you to Hell?"

Riddick shook his head at the arrogant, self-righteous, dickhead. "Oh, you're a piece of art, Johns. They outta hang you in a museum somewhere." He paused, smirking. "Or, forget the museum--maybe they should just _hang you_."

Obviously not taking what he'd said seriously, Johns nodded to himself. "Awright, you kill the girl first--she _is_ the one bleedin'--and _I'll_ keep the others off of your back. You'll kill the others when we need 'em."

Riddick stopped.

"_What_?" Johns asked, and then rolled his eyes. "Aw, don't tell me you're growin' _scruples_."

The murderer shook his head. "Just wonderin' if we don't need bait bigger than three scrawny lil' kids."

Johns paused, thoughtful frown on his face, obviously considering this carefully. "You mean like Fry, Shazza and Mr. Chrislam?"

Before Riddick could tell him '_More like Mr. __**Johns**_, a scream from behind them caused them to turn around in time to see one of the umbrella torches being torn apart and three predators attack the survivors behind them.

* * *

River had sensed it the moment Riddick let his mental block dissolve, and she'd been surprised at not only the fact that his thoughts weren't painful and loud like the others—but soft and soothing—but _what_ was going through his mind.

_Johns_ wanted to kill the _children_ to leave as _bait_?

Nodding in Riddick's direction to let him know that she'd gotten his message, she'd told Iman to slow down, and while the Chrislam looked at her oddly it was the first time she'd spoken to him and she _was_ supposed to be injured, so he graciously complied.

Unlike the last attack, this time she didn't feel _Grim_ until there was a scream, and the umbrella torch Shazza had been carrying was ripped in two, destroyed, by an extra-hungry creature who'd flown close enough to slice it with its scythe-like blade.

Mixing more gas into her cutting torch, brightening the flame despite Fry's orders to keep them on medium so as to conserve the light, River rushed forwards and threw herself in front of Shazza (who'd been knocked back against the sled) swinging the torch left and right rapidly just as the predator circled around to attack the woman who'd been in shadows seconds ago.

Instead of having a sure meal, the predator that'd been bomb-diving towards Shazza was unable to pull up in time and it shrieked in pain as its eyes were charred by the bright flames. At the last minute it managed to divert its course until it crashed violently into the sand behind them, thrashing and clawing at its own eyes.

A couple of the predators around them noticed this and jumped onto the squealing creature, tearing it apart and relishing the easy kill.

Despite that distraction, another predator took advantage of everyone's attention either being on River and Shazza or the feasting behind them, and slashed at Kaylee, slicing her arm and throwing her into Jack. The mechanic had managed to keep a hold of her umbrella torch, and when the predator swung once more she aimed the torch so that it coughed the fireball into the creature's face, causing its face to melt slightly as it screamed and _also_ crashed to the sand, becoming victim to its siblings' hunger as well.

Johns' shotgun fired into the air as he and Riddick hurried back towards the group, yet a scream sounded out louder than the shots.

Suleiman had un-harnessed himself with amazing speed and grabbed onto Hasan's hands as the lower half of the younger boy's body disappeared in the air, in the darkness. Hasan screamed in pain and Iman tried desperately to pull himself out of his harness to help his disciples.

Suleiman sent up prayers in Arabic as his grip on Hasan's hands slipped, and before Fry or Iman could make it to the child, Hasan had been swept away into the air, scream piercing the night.

Wiping out the pistol she'd kept hidden until that moment, River buried her toes in the sand and connected with the planet again. Closing her eyes she felt the wind, Hasan's screams, and the flapping of wings, before firing blindly into the night.

There was a screech of pain as her bullets were true and the creature that'd taken Hasan from them crashed, taking the young Arabic boy whose legs were in its mouth with it.

The lights shone towards the young boy, crying pitifully on the ground besides the creature that'd taken it, trying to force its jaws open so he could escape…while the predators around hi, noticed his predicament and began to grow near.

Sensing _Grim_ behind her, River twirled around and shot the predator that'd crept up behind her right between its eyes.

Another shot rang in the air and a child screamed.

River turned in time to see the smoke from Johns' barrel, and a now dead Hasan collapsing right before the creatures circling him jumped upon his dead body.

"It was better to go that way than to be torn to pieces." Johns announced in a dead voice when everyone turned to him horror for having shot the boy between his eyes much like River had the creature behind her.

"Enough _chum_ for you?" Riddick asked.

Johns turned and glared at him before turning to the others.

Everyone had tears in their eyes, and Iman, Suleiman, Jack and Kaylee were crying heart-brokenly at the loss of the shy young boy.

Fry's head was bent, shadows playing over her face, but her shoulders trembled with her silent sobs.

Shazza shook next to River, looking as if it were all she could do to keep a firm hold onto her sanity as the sounds of feasting filled the air.

Feeling a prickling in her eyes, River raised a cautious hand to her cheek and swiped at the clear liquid there, surprised to realize that she'd been _crying_.

She was _never_ affected by anyone's death. The only one who'd ever affected her when injured was _Simon_.

_Maybe Kaylee is right_, she thought to herself, eyes on the clear liquid covering her fingers and running soundlessly down her cheeks. _Maybe I AM undoing their programming._

"They're busy feasting." Johns spoke once more. "I say we make for the canyon while they're not looking for desert."

* * *

They were nine left: Riddick, River, Kaylee, Shazza, Fry, Jack, Johns, Iman and Suleiman. They listened to the canyon and the continual buzz and clicks coming from there, knowing that there had to be countless predators ahead.

"How many do you see?" Fry asked Riddick.

"One or two," came his vague answer.

"_Jack_?" Fry turned to the young girl.

She looked up from quickly counting the bottles on the sled. "Three full ones, but we're going to need a refill soon so…"

Fry nodded, understanding what the child was saying, letting out a sigh. "Doesn't seem like enough to turn back on, doesn't it?"

Silence descended on them.

"Only one way to do it." Riddick spoke, causing everyone to turn to look at him in interest. "Turn the sled over drag it like that, girl down low. Light up everything we got--and run through like dogs on fire."

A beat passed.

Suleiman looked up and spoke with a thick accent, understanding what Riddick was talking about before the others did. "The sled as a shield."

Riddick nodded.

"What about the cells?" Fry asked.

"Johns and I will take those." The murderer announced and the mercenary didn't voice any objections to the plan.

Fry glared at them. "We're just here to carry your light, aren't we?" She looked from Riddick to Johns right back to Riddick. "Just your _torch-bearers_."

Kaylee continued to cry silently next to Jack and Shazza, the mechanic hadn't been able to get over young Hasan's death.

Shazza had bandaged her arm and stopped the bleeding. They were attracting the predators enough as it was.

"Nah," Johns sneered at the pilot, regaining her attention. "You're _also_ here to be our bodyguards." He passed a surprised Shazza his shotgun. "To make sure we don't be taken by surprise from behind." He turned to look at River, who now had the pistol out in full view. "I 'spect you to make good use of the bullets left."

She gave him a long, silent look.

Fry frowned at River. The girl had somehow gotten the pistol without any of them knowing, and apparently _not only_ could wield a hunting boomerang from an extinct Earth-That-Was tribe with deadly accuracy, but was only a sure-shot with a gun.

She'd killed that _hun dan_ that'd taken Hasan _with her eyes closed_.

Obviously she wasn't some innocent and naïve girl from some backwater planet like everyone had believed of both her and Kaylee.

And Fry was wondering if she should really _trust_ the girl, even _if_ she had been helping them so far.

The girl was obviously trained to kill, and if Fry's suspicions were right, she was a reader. She'd predicted and _known_ too many things for it to be anything else.

Which meant this girl was from the Alliance, probably an Operative, which meant that she had the power to arrest Fry the moment they got to safety for violating her crew vows of putting the passengers' lives before her own.

She'd probably even give in Riddick for his murders and Johns for being in possession of an illegal amount of morphine and child-slaughter--not that Fry would blame her for putting Johns away, the _hun dan _deserved to be in the deepest, darkest slam available.

" Let's drop back an' boot up." Riddick ordered, pulling Fry from her thoughts.

As they hurried to do what they must, Fry sent Johns and Riddick a look before shaking her head. She was going to have a little talk with Riddick and let him know about the little innocent looking girl that'd caught his attention.

Maybe _they_ could strike up a deal--an alliance--and if they could, things would look brighter for her.

* * *

Riddick looked down at the two sets of power cells. They'd been lashed together into two queues that he was more than sure both he and Johns would have no problem dragging behind them. Well, _he'd_ have no problem dragging them, Johns mightn't be as strong as he usually was now that he wasn't having his daily shots of morphine.

Working amidst the great bones in the boneyard, Riddick and Johns crafted two new harnesses from the old straps, and close behind them, Iman was muttering something in Arabic.

"What're doing?" Riddick asked, looking at the Chrislam with slight suspicion as he turned towards the darker man.

"Blessing you two like the others." Iman announced. He frowned when he noticed the expression on Riddick's face. "It's painless."

"And pointless." Riddick, a man of no religion, pointed out.

"Amen to _that_," Johns snorted, continuing to work on his harness.

Riddick couldn't help but find the mercenary agreeing with him so much slightly _unnerving_.

" I see." Iman seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Well, even if you don't believe in God, it doesn't mean He--."

"Oh, no, you've got it all wrong, _Preacher_. I damn well _believe_." Riddick shrugged on the harness, and snugged it down. "'Cuz you don't spend half of your life in lock-down with a horse-bit in your mouth and _not_ believe. And you surely don't start out in a liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around your neck and _not_ believe." He chuckled darkly before turning to the holy man. "Oh, I _absolutely_ believe in God. And I absolutely _hate_ the fucker."

Surprisingly enough, instead of being angry or insulted at the words spoken against his God, Iman looked _compassionate_. "He will be with us—with _you_, whether you wish Him with you or not. You were allowed to survive your traumatic birth, to go through what you went through, to _crash_ _here_, because He knew we'd need you."

Riddick was silent as he shook his head at Iman and his faith, despite the fact that the man had surprised him into wondering. "Don't you think God should have sent you someone who _cared_ if you all survived?"

Iman didn't answer, yet there was deep knowledge in his eyes that pissed Riddick off for a reason he couldn't name.

"Give my blessing to the girl." He said gruffly, turning his back on the holy man. "She needs a spare."

There was silence as Iman moved away.

Riddick shook his head, movement jerky.

"I still sense _Grim_."

Looking up Riddick relaxed when he saw River standing by his side. Behind her, Iman and Johns were having a tense conversation, obviously about Hasan, but Riddick ignored them and focused his attention on the beautiful woman standing next to him and looking worried.

"The Reaper?" Riddick asked, remembering the old tales. "Well, darlin', I _doubt_ Hasan will be the last one killed tonight--_'specially_ with us going through the _ruttin'_ canyon with the kid bleeding like she is, so it's not surprising you sense Old Man Death near."

"You didn't let the holy one lay God's hand on you." She observed more than accused.

Riddick paused, wondering if she was a believer. "No, I didn't. I don't need anymore of _His_ help."

River tilted her head to the side and looked at him in silence before turning her back to him and looking up at the sky. "You're like my captain," she sighed the last two words, causing Riddick to tense because _this_ time she wasn't _trying_ to get him jealous, she _honestly_ cared _deeply_ about 'her' captain. "He was angry with the One _beyond_ the darkness for disappointments in life."

"I can understand the sentiment." Riddick grinded out, hearing the wistfulness in her voice.

"He's going to come here." River turned to him, eyes innocent, trusting. "He's going to save us. I sense him close by." Her smile showed her true adoration for the man in question as she returned her gaze to the darkness above them. "My captain is going to rain down light like drops of water upon us."

Riddick clenched his fists and looked away.

What did he care that the bitch openly adored this faceless bastard?

The faceless bastard he was going to _kill_ once they were safely off this planet.

_Right after I ghost Johns, of course, for touching her._

Riddick snorted in wry amusement, the girl was turning him into more of a murderer than he already was.

"We're ready." Johns called, breaking into their time alone. "Let's go, the skiff's waiting on us."

River gave Riddick a timid smile before going to him and placing a soft, innocent kiss on his smooth cheek and backing away. Turning her back on him, she went towards the others, singing softly to herself as she went, as if they were about to go on a family outing instead of into the lion's den.

Riddick turned and watched her go, awe-struck.

Since _when_ could such a _pathetically_ _innocent_ excuse for a kiss affect him so much he _trembled_?

_Fuck it_.

Shaking his head, Riddick followed River towards the others as they readied to do the canyon-run.

* * *

**Sooooo…what do you all think? That was VERY different from the movie, and while I want originality I don't want to stray TOO FAR from the movie…because the movie ROX…but what do you all think?**

**Please give me a review and let me know if you liked it.**


	9. The Fox and the Wolf

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROM ME!!**

_Wow! I think this is the most reviews I've gotten for a chapter in this story before! Great! And I love that I have not only new people, but that the people who first reviewed the first chapter are still hanging on for the ride! Thank you all so much, your faith that I'm gonna finish this fic make Raia (my temperamental muse) and I work none stop, and even go to bed thinking HOW to plan out the next chapter so you guys aren't disappointed!_

_And yeah, I was sorta trying to freak you guys out in the last chapter by making you think I was killing Shazza off and keeping Fry…lol…sorry about that, blame my sick humor on my being sick with the virus (It.Wont.Leave.)_

**Aewnaur, dragonmamma, Mach Farcon, ShaodwPhoenix17, Mahone-chic-89, AMM3485, T.J., SarcasticWitch, A1kyndria, Morgomir, SharonH, AnnaALF, FluidDegree, Angelsgift00, Scotty Boi, Birdy, DarkMe, A Friend, Iridescent Twilight, Anony, MissBe **and** Glynnis007.--**_**THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS!**_

Scotty Boi: I noticed you asked a question I forgot to answer a little while back. If I write a sequel, it would probably begin in the Chronicles, since I've never seen Dark Fury--it's in none of the video centers and I can't find it in the dvd stores either.

* * *

The torches, maxed out, burnt non-stop.

Iman and Suleiman stood with the sled chain on, both strapped and ready, sipping on the rest of their O-2, with hand-lights shining on their backs.

Fry was in the front of the group, an umbrella torch in her hand, looking nervous as the clicking around them grew louder.

Jack rolled under the upturned sled, becoming a turtle in a metal carapace. She'd been giving a little hand-light that lit beneath the dark sled just in case one of the creatures tried to swing one of their blades at her from the undersides.

Shazza was positioned on the left side of the sled, umbrella torch in one hand and Johns' shotgun in the next, looking so uncomfortable with the large thing everyone realized she wouldn't be much use with the clunky thing.

River, who held the last cutting torch, had smiled at Shazza and offered a trade, which the elder woman smiled thankfully and took the small, light pistol, passing the smaller, petite girl the Big Gauge.

Kaylee went to the rear and stood there with River, holding the cutting torch so that Johns and Riddick would have _some_ light on them, and so the younger girl could get a good grip on the shotgun and be able to concentrate on just _shooting_ the _Hun dan_ creatures that got too close to the mercernary and the murderer.

Riddick smirked as he looked River over.

With torn clothes, bandages, and the professional way she held the shotgun, she looked like she'd been through war and was ready for a ravishment--which he'd give her--once they were off this _gorram_ planet.

Riddick, having no desire to see what horrors would surround them, had put on his goggles. There was only one path _anyway_: straight ahead.

"As fast as you can." He ordered those in front of him.

River nodded.

Kaylee frowned in worry, looking back at Johns and him strapped to the heavy power cells. "You sure you two can--?"

"_As fast as you can_." Riddick repeated, leaving no room for discussion.

The mechanic nodded and took in a deep breath, obviously summoning courage for what they were about to do.

"Let's do this!" Fry ordered from the front.

"I wonder if she would always be in such a hurry if _she_ had to drag anything." Johns murmured in complaint as they began to run as fast as they could, dragging the heavy power cells behind them, following the others.

Riddick smirked, having wondered the same thing.

Suleiman and Iman moved well as a team, dragging the sled with Jack speed-crawling beneath, her hand-light betraying a presence beneath yet protecting her at the same time.

Fry kept a couple of paces in front of the two Chrislams, umbrella torch held high in front of her, leading them through the den of hungry creatures.

Shazza swung her umbrella torch around the sled, trying to protect herself and both sides at the same time. Dark eyes on the shadows around them she kept a strong hold on the pistol. So far she hadn't had to use it, and everyone was very glad about that.

Kaylee was in the rear of the sled, keeping light on River, herself, and on Riddick and Johns. She held the cutting torch up with her uninjured arm, and kept sending Riddick and Johns quick glances over her shoulder to make sure that they were keeping up and relatively covered by the light.

River was running backwards, ignoring the mercenary and the murderer, eyes behind them, ready to shoot anything that tried to jump them from behind. She looked like a tiger crouching in the shadows, ready to spring on its prey.

Riddick tried not to be distracted by how damned beautiful she looked backlit by the flame of the cutting torch.

Predators leaped from the rims of the canyon, circling above.

The hatchlings, young and foolish with hunger, streamed right for the survivor's faces only to veer off at the last second, shrieking in pain as the flames charred their skin.

Feral sounds filled the air.

"Don't look." Riddick ordered, already figuring what was happening above.

Thin blue liquid spattered the fleeing survivors.

"Do _not_ look up." Riddick reinstated his previous order as more blue liquid splattered down on them.

Fry disobeyed, looking up into the sky and stumbling, gasping in horror. "_Blood_. _Gou shi! _It's _blood_!"

Above them, fanning as far as the eye could see, was a ceiling of predators. At the cusp of light they dove and weaved and darted, slashing each other in a rabid desire to sound out the humans below. It was like looking at a bucket filled of angry eels.

"Keep _going_!" Shazza ordered harshly when Fry's stumbling caused them to pause for a moment. "Better their blood than _ours_!"

Chastened, Fry kept her gaze down and sped up, once more leading them and keeping her attention on the path ahead.

"Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going!" Riddick's voice whipped them like the Devil's coxswain, and apparently caused enough fear for Iman and Suleiman to speed up as well, and it took the mercenary and murderer an extra bout of energy to try and keep up with the fast runners ahead.

More blue blood rained down upon them, followed by entrails dropping from the sky.

"So dark the clouds around my way I cannot see," Iman's voice was heard singing the prayer shakily from the front. "But through the darkness I believe God leadeth me." He stumbled suspiciously in the front and paused in his song, although he continued to pull the shed.

"I gladly place my hand in His when all is dim," Suleiman continued from where his teacher had left off, finishing the prayer. "And closing my weary eyes, lean hard on him."

_Whole corpses_ began crashing down all around them, victims of the in-fighting occurring above.

Iman and Suleiman had to slalom through the ghastly mess and try keep up with Fry all at the same time.

Once again, Iman stumbled, but no one seemed to notice it, other than Riddick, but the murderer pushed it aside and concentrated on dragging the power cells and keeping up with Kaylee's light.

In front of them the passage narrowed into a choke-point, and suddenly Fry stopped.

"_Riddick_? _RIDDICK??_"

He looked up, annoyed at her for stopping their course once more, but kept from snapping at the blonde when he realized _what_ had caused the halt this time.

"_Wo de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou_!" Johns cursed when he looked up and noticed as well.

Ahead, a clot of dead predators blocked the canyon.

"What?" Jack's nervous voice could be heard asking from beneath the sled. "What is it?"

"It's a fucking _staircase_!" Riddick snapped at them, pissed that they were all so scared of a bunch of _dead_ predators when they should be more frightened of the _live_ ones above them. "Go over it! _GO OVER IT_!"

Steeling themselves, they began the climb. Kaylee seemed to want to close her eyes tightly yet was forcing them open as they climbed over the bodies of the slaughtered predators, and River kept sending quick glances backwards to make sure she didn't step on anything that could slice open her bare feet.

Suddenly there was a cry as some corpses crumbled and Jack tumbled out from out of the sled, sliding past Kaylee and would have collided with Johns if River's hand hadn't shot out and grabbed the young girl's wrist, halting her rapid descent down the mountain of predator corpses.

"Jack!" Shazza called out as she realized what's happened.

Suleiman stopped his ascent and turned to look back in worry.

River's eyes were above them. "Get back under!" she ordered before giving the girl a jerk in the right direction.

Riddick looked up, wondering what had River's attention when the Predator swooped by, kamikazying onto the sled, its bone-blades piercing the metal.

Jack screamed once more from where she was hidden beneath the sled.

A shot rang through the air and the predator screamed, collapsing dead on the sled, forcing it completely down, trapping Jack inside.

"_Jack_?!" Kaylee cried out. "Jack?! Are you okay?!"

"Y-yes." Came a trembling voice from inside.

Smoke arose from the end of the shotgun as River quickly passed it to a stunned Kaylee and pulled out her sharp hunting boomerang. "Hold onto the sled tightly." She ordered Iman and Suleiman before pushing the predator away. It was still connected with the sled, pulling it back, and the Chrislams grunted as they kept a hold on the sled.

With the boomerang River sawed off the predator's blade sticking into the sled and watched with detachment as the dead creature tumbled down the hill of its siblings' corpses.

The young woman then put back the hunting boomerang and grabbed the shotgun from Kaylee. She froze and looked behind them once more, eyes moving rapidly in the darkness before they closed tightly and she aimed blindly, three shots firing into the night.

_Right behind Riddick and Johns_ three shrieks filled the air as the silent predators fell to the ground from where they'd been about to pounce on the unsuspecting murderer and mercenary from behind.

"Keep moving!" River screamed, jolting everyone from their stunned stances into continuing their trek up the mountain of corpses.

As they made it over the top of the corpses and began their quick descent, Riddick couldn't help but smirk as he replayed the last events quickly over in his head and decided that he was going to keep her.

* * *

Kaylee wanted to cry out in happiness when finally_…FINALLY…_the canyon widened, opening up like some door to Heaven. As the horrible sounds fell behind them, Kaylee looked upon the sweat-sheened faces of the survivors and recognizes the same faint hope in their expressions that she _knew_ was showing on _her own_ face.

They'd just survived the Seventh Circle of _Hell_. Maybe, _maybe _they would actually _survive_ this.

But right as she thought that, the torches began to spit and sputter…

…and an odd _patter_ was heard against the metal of the sled.

Blood fell anew, in overwhelming quantities.

One torch died yet thankfully somehow came back to life.

River stopped dead and held out her palm, collecting the colorless blood in her hand, going pale.

"No, no, no, no!" Fry screamed from in front.

Kaylee didn't understand. What was going on?

"It's _rain_…" Shazza's voice was choked.

Kaylee wanted to cry, she wanted to scream and shout, yet kept all her emotions in check. It wouldn't be fair to Jack if she let the child realize how _fucked_ they were right now.

"Get _moving_!" Riddick ordered from behind them, and they hurriedly did as told.

Rain fell from the heaven with such fury it remind Kaylee of the story Sheppard Book had told her about while he was on _Serenity_, the story about a flood that covered the whole earth. The water soaked them to their bones, flowing over the rocks and the ground, making it a slippery journey for them…_as if they needed more complications!_

They continued to run, slipping and sliding on the mud, until they were forced to stop. The umbrella torch Shazza held died and wouldn't relight. She moved back next to Kaylee.

"So where the hell's God now, huh?" The question was obviously aimed at Iman, who refused to answer the barb, yet Riddick continued on anyway in his harsh, deadly, and _extremely_ pissed voice. "I'll tell you where He is! _He's up there PISSING ON ME_!"

"Riddick?" Fry called from in front. "How close?"

The murderer shed his goggles and looked around in the darkness.

Kaylee prayed to every deity that luck was on their side.

"Tell me the settlement's right there!" Fry ordered in a desperate voice. "RIDDICK, _PLEASE_!"

The words that escape Riddick's mouth chilled Kaylee's blood.

"We can't make it."

"_Hao yun bu lai, huai yun bu jwo!"_ Johns muttered under his breath.

"We _can_ make it." River announced, causing everyone to look up at her. "Just not _all_ of us…not _together_."

"What are you talking about, daughter?" Iman asked, his voice seemed pained, as were the features of his face.

"Together we are large, they find us easier, and they scent your blood." River was speaking slowly, purposely, obviously trying to make sense for them to understand her. "Wolf, fox and this girl can make it to the skiff and bring the light to your darkness."

Kaylee looked up, understanding what she was saying. "You want us to hide and wait for you to return."

"How do we know you three won't just leave us here to be bait so you can just escape?" Fry demanded as she drew closer.

"_This girl_ would _never_ leave the sun behind." River told Fry, eyes narrowed, obviously reading her thoughts and not liking them.

Kaylee put a calming hand on River's shoulder. "I know you wouldn't leave me, River, I trust you."

"Well, I say _I_ should be the one to go with Riddick and Johns." Fry announced, voice filled with authority.

"The canary is pretty, and knows how to fly," River announced testily. "But she is _prey_, not a predator."

Shazza stepped forwards. "River's right. She should be da one ta go with 'em."

"_What_?!" Fry turned on the other woman.

"The girl's proven she can shoot." Shazza turned to their self-proclaimed leader. "She can keep 'em safe 'til they get to the skiff and come back ta get us."

"_They aren't coming back you Ben Dan!_" Fry cried in desperation. "Why would they risk themselves and come back for us when they are safe and sound in the skiff?!"

The Australian shook her head at the pilot, eyes narrowed. "Because _not everyone_ would risk da lives of everyone else's just ta _save their own skin_."

Fry took a step back, looking as if she'd been slapped.

Behind them, the awful sounds returned.

"Wanna make up yer minds?!" Johns snapped.

Iman looked around. "Where would we hide?"

Riddick looked around them in silence before getting out of his harness and disappearing into the darkness. Moments passed in silence before he spoke. "_Get your asses here __**now**_."

Surprised, everyone hurried towards where his voice was, and were surprised to see the crevice he'd found in the canyon's wall.

"The kids first." Riddick ordered.

Suleiman helped Jack out from under the sled and into the darkness of the crevice before joining the young girl.

"_Inside…inside_…" Riddick sounded impatient, and Shazza, Fry and Iman hurried in as well.

"I'll come back." River told Kaylee, eyes boring into hers.

"I know." Throwing her arms around the younger girl, Kaylee hugged her tightly. "Be careful _Mei-Mei­_." Feeling River nod, Kaylee let go and ran into the darkness with the others and watched as Johns and Riddick lifted the shield, muscling it slowly over to the crevice before sliding it over the opening.

The cutting torch Kaylee had given Shazza before hugging River sputtered and died, leaving them in darkness within the deep, dark crevice.

"They're coming back, right?" Jack asked with a tremble from where she sat next to Suleiman, who was sitting straight, eyes closed, lips moving wordlessly in what Kaylee could only guess was a prayer.

"'Course they are." Shazza reached over and squeezed the girl's hand. "They're gonna come back ta get us an' we're getting' off this _gorram_ planet."

Fry made a snort of disgust from where she sat closest to the entrance.

Kaylee shot her a glare before turning to Iman when she heard his deep intake of breath. "Iman?" She asked, placing a hand on his arm. "Are you alright?" Before he could answer she noticed the dark liquid that covered his leg and cried out in horror. "You're hurt!"

"I--." But Iman couldn't react fast enough to keep Kaylee from jerking up his pants leg, she'd done just that, revealing an ugly gash in the skin above his ankle.

"When did this happen?" Kaylee gasped. "And why didn't you say anything?"

The sound of tearing caught her attention and she turned in time to see Shazza tearing at the stomach of her shirt and passing the cloth to Kaylee for a bandage.

"Thank you." The mechanic gave the other woman a small smile before beginning to bandage the bleeding limb.

"One caught me before we got to the mountain of unclean bodies." Iman admitted sheepishly as the young girl tended to him. "But I did not wish to burden anyone with the knowledge."

"Badly done preacher." Kaylee chastised softly, finishing bandaging the wound and wincing when she noticed his blood already beginning to tint it dark red. "When we get rescued we're taking you right to a doctor if'n the bleeding doesn't stop."

"Allah has predestined all of our lives," Iman announced slowly when she pulled away and sat down once more. "If it is my time to die, then I accept that and will go happily, knowing that Suleiman is alive and well and my family name will live on through _him_."

Kaylee paused, blinking. Turning to look at the handsome young boy who'd finished his prayer and was listening to something Jack whispered softly to him, her gaze retuned to Iman. "Is Suleiman your _son_?"

The holy man lowered his head. "Ali, Hasan and Suleiman were _all_ my sons. They'd been abandoned by their respective parents and I took them in, adopted them, and while I want like any parent to be angry at Allah for allowing their lives to end at such a young age and in such a violent way, I know that is was His will for a good reason, and in the years to come I will see how their deaths served the greater good."

Kaylee wiped at a tear that fell down her cheek as she listened to him. She couldn't understand that feeling, that faith.

She looked up at his pained face…

…_Wait!_

_**LOOKED?!**_

Weren't they supposed to be in the darkness?!

"There's light in here." She whispered, looking around them and noticing the soft glowing above.

Iman tried to stand but fell back down when he tried putting weight on his injured leg.

Suleiman, seeing Iman's distress, stood instead and grabbed onto the rocky side of the crevice, climbing slowly upwards to discover blue-white lights clinging to rocks. He plucked a few and looked at them as the glowed in his open palm.

"What are they?" Fry asked, standing as well and looking up at him.

Suleiman chuckled as the lights seemed to _wriggle_ in his palms. "Larva."

"_Glow worms_?" Jack asked, intrigue in her voice as she stood up as well, brushing off her rear.

"Catch." Suleiman looked down at her and smiled, letting one of the larvae drop down into her hands.

"_Wow_…" Jack whispered as everyone circled around her to get a better look at the odd creature glowing in her palms.

"How many bottles we got?" Shazza asked Fry's favorite question. "_Empty ones_?"

There was a small _beep_ that caused everyone to jerk and look around them…all except Kaylee…who _knew_ where the beep had come from…

…The sole of her heel.

The mechanic couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

_Serenity_ was almost there.

* * *

With it just being the three of them, River, Riddick and Johns had made it to the skiff rapidly and with few attacks from the creatures. The young woman looked out in the darkness, putting the shotgun down on the ground as Riddick and Johns connected the power cells to the skiff.

Suddenly the skiff came to life and lit up, bathing them in its saving wonder.

River smiled.

Standing in the hatchway, drenched in light, she looked out into the dark rain. As soon as they finished fixing the skiff they'd go back and bring the others then they'd be off the planet and would meet _Serenity _in the air.

She could _feel_ her brother's worry.

And never before had she been so _happy_ to feel Simon's constant worry.

It meant he was _near_!

The skiff's engine purred to life and began to warm up, readying for the take-off that would be their salvation.

"Git in." Johns ordered. "We've gotta close the hatchway."

River frowned as she turned to him. "The others--."

"Are as good as _dead_." Johns announced from where he stood, the shotgun in his hand. "Now _git_ inside so we can be off before _we're_ dead _too_."

"Not leaving until we have the others." River narrowed her eyes at him, unable to believe that he _truly_ would leave the others to be torn apart. _Johns_ hadn't been programmed by the Academy to be an unfeeling beast, so what excuse did _he_ have?

"Hey Riddick!" He laughed at her before looking behind him at Riddick, who strolled pass leisurely. "She actually _meant it_ when she said she'd go back."

"Not a smart move." Riddick announced in an indifferent voice, leaning against the skiff's wall, folding his arms over his chest, watching her intently.

A feeling of dread and betrayal stabbed at River, yet despite the fact that her body begged for her to express her pain with tears, she kept her eyes dry and her expression cold. "We're _not_ leaving without Kaylee and the others."

"Listen, _princess_," Johns announced with a sneer. "Your little friend is pretty but _not_ pretty enough to get me to go back out there."

"Then _wait_, here, _safe_," she spat the last word out, glad when he bristled angrily at her. "_I'll_ go get the sun and the bleeders."

Johns pushed away from the wall and slowly went towards her, tsking. "You're mistaking us for people who actually _give_ a fuck for anyone other than ourselves."

River's eyes narrowed and her foot shot out, connecting with his jaw and sending him flying backwards violently, but before she could advance on him, Johns had reacted and had the shotgun pointed at her, halting her advance.

"_Definitely_ not a smart move." Riddick commented from where he stood.

River ignored him, hate-filled eyes focused solely on Johns.

"Now, _princess_, that wasn't very _nice_ of you." Johns mocked as he stood, moving his jaw slightly with a wince. "This skiff isn't big enough for all of us. It won't take off with the 'mount of people hiding back there."

"There are _puppies_ back there." Didn't he _understand_ that?!

"_Puppies_?" Johns scowled, looking at the murderer for a second in confusion.

"She's talkin' 'bout the kids." Riddick supplied, still watching them with detached interest.

"_Oh, OH._" Johns snorted, turning his attention back on the seething female. "Yes, well, this is like the _jungle_ princess. Only the best, the _strongest,_ survive."

"Then why are _you_ still here?" River snapped.

His eyes flared his rage as her insult hit home _hard. _"I wanted you ta come along but looks like that won't be happenin'." Johns glared, pumping the shotgun and aiming, readying to shot. "You shoulda listened ta Riddick when he was warnin' ya about smart moves."

"Oh," Riddick's voice was dark velvet. "I wasn't talking to _her_."

Johns' turned in confusion towards the murderer in time to feel searing pain in his wrist and drop the shotgun. Sinking to his knees, the blonde grabbed at his arm, bone-shiv stuck deep within the middle of his wrist. "_He chu-sheng za-jiao de zang-huo!"_

River blinked, surprised at the change of events and more than a little confused.

Riddick pushed away from the wall and leisurely walked to the shotgun and kicked it away from the mercenary. He went to the blonde and grabbed hold of the handle of the shiv, and goggles met furious blue orbs as he pulled it up and out, slicing off half of his wrist.

Johns screamed and clutched his wrist tighter as blood spurted out crazily.

Wiping the shiv on Johns' shirt, cleaning it of his own blood, Riddick placed it back in its hiding place in his clothes and turned, going towards the shotgun.

Picking it up, the murderer aimed it at the vividly cursing mercenary. "I was warning _you_ that it wasn't a smart move to threaten _my woman_."

River continued to blink, feeling incredibly stupid.

"Remember that moment?" Riddick asked Johns, who was bleeding profusely from his open wrist.

It hit River hard from behind, causing her to fall hard on her feet, eyes wide.

_Circling the crevice, it looks up and down, glad that its brethren have yet to notice what it has. Blood. A lot of it…coming from deep within the crevice._

_It circles around, before landing before the metal and sniffing around the edges, mouth salivating as the blood within reminds it of how the taste of human flesh is so much nicer than that of the others of its own kind._

_Human flesh is so __**soft**__, seems to __**melt**__ in the mouth._

_With that in mind it claws at the metal that blocks it from its food, and hears the gasps from within._

_More than one human?_

_Oh! The feast it will have!_

_It hisses when a light from within touches its skin, and it jumps back, burnt. The light will burn it if exposed, yet it is sure that if it is able to pull away the metal and quickly grab the one bleeding, the burn will be worth it_…

River gasped, desperate for the air her lungs lacked, as she was released from the vision and looked up into Riddick's dark goggles. He once more had a grip on her upper arm, bringing her back to the present, anchoring her to reality, and smoothening the transition.

Without thinking she threw herself at him, pressing her face into his chest, his mere presence driving away the demons as he held her close while her body shook violently and she felt as if she'd be sick.

For a moment, for a brief instance, she'd been one with the creature, seen as it'd seen, sensed the stomach-clenching hunger that drove it to feast the way its kind did.

"We must leave." She whispered against Riddick's chest. "The sun is in danger of eclipsing."

"It's crazy to go back out there." Riddick told her in a flat voice, his chin resting on the crown of her head.

"This girl has _never_ been accused of being _sane_."

He chuckled darkly, deep within his throat, the chuckle reverberating throughout his body, shaking her slightly as well, and she bathed in the feeling and sound for a moment before taking in a deep breath and pulling away, looking behind them to see that Johns was still alive and glaring up hatefully at them.

"The wolf let the fox live?"

"Gotta save bullets." Riddick announced before pulling two hand-lights that he'd found in the skiff and passing one to her.

She smiled up at him before throwing her arms around his neck and bringing his face down to hers, lips crashing in a kiss _very different_ from the one she'd given him half an hour ago.

Heat rose from her stomach as he wrapped her in his arms and pressed her fully against him, losing herself in him, in his heat, in his _desire_.

Blushing, River pulled away and cleared her throat, pulling out her hunting boomerang. "Let's go."

Riddick smirked at the choked sound in her voice before nodding and turning to look over his shoulder at Johns. "I wouldn't try to steal and fly this skiff while we're gone if I were you." His smirk grew darker. "Not that you can do anything with your hand only hanging together by a thin slice of skin."

"_Fuck you_ Trash Baby!" Johns spat venomously from where he was on his knees, clutching the bleeding remains of his wrist.

"Not my type, Johns," Riddick chuckled as, with one hand at the small of River's back, he led her out into the shadows. "Not my type."

* * *

**Hey everyone! We're almost there at the end! A coupla chapters more! How did you like this chapter? **

Lol. The Chinese have the _funniest_ curses! I find the last one mentioned here (_He chu-sheng za-jiao de zang-huo_) one of the funniest I've heard so far! Every time I imagine someone screaming that to someone else in English I just break up laughing.

**Translation:**

_Wo de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou: _**Mother of God and all her crazy nephews**

_Hao yun bu lai, huai yun bu jwo : G_**ood luck don't come, bad luck don't leave**

_Ben Dan:_ **Idiot**

_He chu-sheng za-jiao de zang-huo: __**Filthy fornicator of livestock!**_


	10. Raining Light

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROM ME!!**

_Hey guys! Thanks for your great reviews! I just wanna let you know that I'm so happy you liked the Riddick/Johns exchange, because while I wanted Johns around a little longer to help Riddick with the power cells I in NO WAY like him and wanted him to suffer some. ...smiles evilly before getting hit in the back of my head by Raia..._

_Aewnaur, FluidDegree, jacobsbooo __**(You'll just have to wait and see!!:D )**__, Morgomir, AMM3485, Angelsgift00, AnnaALF, Glynnis007, ForeveranADay, Birdy, Iridescent Twilight __**(yes, you CAN vote for that actually)**__, 0756 __**(Aw, thanks! I'm glad you like it so much! And concerning, she was my fav character after Riddick, but I NEVER liked 'em together for some reason)**__, Anony __**(lol. I've actually temporarily abandoned all of my other stories to keep updating THIS ONE approx. every day)**__, Honey76, ShadowPhoenix17__ Sharon H__ and__ kitten2--__**Thanks for the reviews!!**_

_**A/N: Since I've been getting some complaints from PM'ERS I've decided to extend this story a little since everyone wants to see how Riddick and the other PB characters interact and get along with the Firefly characters--especially Riddick and the men (Mal, Jayne and Simon) of the crew.**_

_**And this is POST BDM, and everything happened cannologically to the stupid movie where my Wash-y and Book died.**_

* * *

Bandaging his wrist had proved more painful than the _gorram_ wound itself, but Johns knew that he had to stop the blood from flowing so freely or the others would come to find he dead on the skiff and kick his body out for the land-sharks to snack upon.

Damn Riddick.

Why the _hell_ had he chosen _trim_ instead of the obviously choice of safety?

Sure, the gal was beautiful, but she looked inexperienced and was probably a _virgin_ anyhows!

Growling, the mercenary dragged himself onto the pilot's seat and engaged the take-off sequence. He mightn't be able to pilot much, but he knew damned well how to chart a travel plan in the Cortex board and engage auto pilot.

He'd leave those _gorram_ people and Riddick would be sorry he hadn't ghosted him when he had the chance.

* * *

"Is it just me, or does the fact that this planet supposedly doesn't exist--like _Miranda_--bother you, sir?" Zoë Washburne asked, hands clasped behind her back, legs separated slightly and placed firmly on the ground as they looked at the planet M6-117, the planet that Kaylee's tracking device said she was on, the planet that supposedly didn't exist.

"'Course it bothers me." Captain Malcolm Reynolds announced, hunched over the computer graph of the planet, his gut feeling telling him something wasn't right. "As does the fact that it's supposed to be uninhabited but the thermal scanners are picking up an army-worth of heat signatures."

"'N they ain't _human_." Jayne Cobb, the large mercenary, announced from where he stood behind Zoë. He didn't know much about anything that didn't have to do with weapons and tracking--his expertise--but he knew those figures the thermal scanner was picking up _weren't_ human.

"What are my _mei-mei_ and ­_bao-bei_ going through?" Simon Tam, the ship's doctor and River's brother, asked from where he sat by the image, looking pale and worn. While he was usually the picture of properness, never once leaving his room with a wrinkled shirt, he now looked like a disaster with dark bags under his eyes and he had yet to change his clothes since they'd realized that they'd been separated from his girlfriend and sister.

"Now, don'tcha be gettin' your knickers in a twist Doc," Mal announced somewhat awkwardly, the Doc and he had a tentative relationship at best--they only _tolerated_ each other because of their love for Kaylee and River--yet he felt that as captain he had to look after his crew, even if it _was_ Simon. "Your sister has proven herself to be more'n capable of takin' care of herself and we all know she'll take care of lil' Kaylee if'n they're in trouble."

"Yes, I _know_ she would take care of Kaylee." Simon was tense, and his voice quivered with a mixture of anger and distress. "But who will take care of _River_? While she's been doing much better ever since Miranda, she's still a mentally unstable girl who needs my supervision and care. She needs her medication. She's never been this long without them!" He ran his hands through his hair, blood-shot eyes wide-open. "What if she has a relapse? What if she has a fit and--?"

"You don't give moonbrain 'nuff credit, Doc." Jayne's rough voice caused everyone to look at him with eyes wide in surprise. The relationship between River and the mercenary had never been quite stable--she _had_ stabbed him and he'd tried to betray her to the Alliance--so his defense of her was _astonishing_. "_Sure_, da girl's _feng le_, but she's been doin' better, 'n she's never let anything keep 'er from keepin' Kaylee safe before."

Zoë sent the large mercenary a small smile.

Simon blinked, looking up at Jayne in silence before giving him a small, thankful smile. "Thank you Jayne, you are right."

"'Course I'm right." The mercenary snorted. "You might be one of the 'most gifted people in da universe', but ya ain't gotta lick of common sense—'_specialy_ when it comes to that _feng le _sister of yours."

Simon frowned. "That's what I get for listening to the ape-man."

Jayne glared at the doctor, making a pass for Vera, his favorite gun.

"Now, now, play _nice_ children." Mal shook his head at his doctor and hired-guns. "You two can start threatenin' each other with guns and sharp surgical tools _after_ we save the girls from whatever problem they've gotten themselves into _this_ time."

"The captain's right." Zoë frowned disapprovingly at the two men in the room. "Our priority is discovering what exactly is on that planet, if it is a threat, and how to eliminate it before we reach M6-117—which we'll be doing soon."

Simon hung his head. "You're right."

Jayne snorted, yet didn't dare contradict the ex-soldier.

"From the tracking image I'm guessing they crashed _here_, and the small trail left by Kaylee says that they moved a great distance towards what would look like an abandoned settlement." Zoë announced. "I say we land _Serenity_ _here_." She tapped a section of the graphic 3-D image. "It's a nice open space close to the settlement, and I'm guessing it was a docking station while the planet was still inhabited."

"A lil' small, ain't it?" Jayne winced and looked up at Mal.

River's and Kaylee's presences had been sorely missed, because not only was _Serenity_ suffering from lack of Kaylee's constant nurturing in the engine room, but Mal had taken over River's duties as pilot--and everyone knew Mal wasn't exactly the world's best pilot--_'specially_ when entering Atmo or landing.

Mal noticed his hired-guns' expression and bristled, insulted. "I'll have ya know that I'm an _excellent_ pilot! I just haven't had much practice-wise since River's a great pilot and Wash would pilot before _her!_ I'm a lil' rusty is all!"

"Of _course_ you are sir." Zoë announced loyally.

Simon snorted from where he had his forehead against the table.

Mal glared at the doctor.

"_Sure _ya are." Jayne chuckled. "You just keep tellin' yourself that cap'n."

Mal glared at the _mercenary_.

Zoë did her best to keep her face straight and not smile.

"No respect," Mal announced melodramatically as he looked at his crewmembers. "I get _no_ respect!"

* * *

There was more scrabbling at the sled keeping them safe from what hid in the darkness outside. Kaylee closed her eyes and wished over and over again for River, Riddick and Johns to have gotten to the skiff, gotten it sky-friendly, and come back for them.

A creature had been trying time and time again to get in at them. Obviously it was drawn by Iman's and Jack's bleeding--and probably it could smell the blood on the cloth around her now closed wound.

Shazza had forced Iman and Jack to the back of the group, and stood in front, pistol held shakily in her hands as she kept it aimed at the sled in case the creature decided to risk the light they'd gotten from filling two empty liquor bottles with all the glow worms they could find.

Suleiman stood in front of Jack, holding Iman's ceremonial dagger by the blade, ready to use it to pierce whatever beast made it passed the shield the sled provided.

The shield gave way and slid to the side, but before Shazza could shoot or Suleiman let his dagger fly, River stepped into the light of the cave with Riddick behind her, both looking slightly bruised yet alive and well all the same.

Jack's eyes widened and tears filled her vision. "_You came back_…"

"_Mei-Mei­!" _Kaylee cried and she pushed out passed Suleiman and Shazza and threw herself into the younger girl's arms, hugging her tightly. "I was so worried! I thought you'd been hurt!"

"Where's Johns?" Iman asked, noticing that the blonde wasn't with them and that Riddick was holding the Big Gauge.

River tensed. "The fox wanted to leave the chickens to the dogs, but the wolf and the girl protested and caught the fox's paw in a hunter's snare."

There was confused silence before Kaylee pulled away, horrified and angry. "He was going to _leave_ us?"

"The _hun dan_!" Jack exclaimed in anger, and then her eyes went wide at the looks she received. "_What_?!"

"I can't believe you two _came back_." Fry announced with surprise obvious on her face.

"Yeah, yeah--." Riddick finally spoke up, sounding impatient and somewhat annoyed. "We're all fuckin' amazed. Anyone _not_ ready for this?"

* * *

Protected by the meager light of two bottles of glow-worms and two hand-lights, the group slowly made their way out of the crevice, going slower than they would have liked due to the fact that Iman now couldn't stand on his injured foot. Shazza and Suleiman had grabbed hold of him and were helping him along as they made their way into the darkness.

"Tighter, tighter…" Riddick ordered in a soft voice from where he was a couple of steps in front of the group, goggles off, moving as silently as the night itself.

The group instinctively obeyed, moving in as tightly as they could with Jack and Iman in the middle.

River trailed behind, holding up the rear to make sure that they weren't attacked from behind.

"Stop."

Hearing Riddick's voice they piled up awkwardly, listening yet hearing nothing but rainfall.

Fry, as always, had to speak. "I don't hear--." She gave a little cry when River wrapped her hand over her mouth, silencing her.

While the psychic assassin couldn't exactly _see_ where the predator was, she could _sense_ it close by, and didn't want them getting caught with bleeding people just because the blonde couldn't keep her mouth shut.

They were only lucky that they were downwind from the predators in the area, and that the downpour also helped cover their scent, thus the creatures hadn't picked up on the fact that bleeding humans were out in the open.

"Doesn't see us…wait till it leaves…" Riddick whispered under his breath.

River shivered as she felt _another_ predator fly overhead and land where the first predator could be heard lapping at water. Obviously a pool of water from the rain had gathered and the predators had taken to going there to drink.

The young woman shivered as she felt _more_ predators congregating.

Soon faint clicking could be heard by the others above the rain.

"Get behind me."

No one even seemed to _think_ of disobeying, and all hurried behind their new leader.

"Hold hands." Riddick spoke urgently. "When I say go, we go. Full-throttle."

Everyone nodded rapidly, and Kaylee reached for River's hand.

River gave it a little squeeze, finally getting the hang of this comforting thing.

"Ready…_ready_…"

Riddick took off, and the others, linked like paper dolls, followed blindly.

They hit the water like lawn-movers on legs, crashing through, scattering water and unsuspecting predators alike, managing to reach the muddy rise, starting a frantic ascent.

The mud beneath Jack's feet gave way and she screamed, dropping to the ground and beginning a sharp descent as the rain suddenly stopped.

Riddick's arm shot out and grabbed her arm, letting go of Fry as the blonde (who'd been given the pistol), turned and fired at the creature that'd appeared in front of them.

Muscling Jack up the muddy ascent once more, Riddick heaved her over the top and sent her sliding down the slippery other side.

The hunting boomerang shot out and sliced through a predator that'd been about to bring its scythe-blades down on Riddick while the murderer had been busy helping Jack. The sharp silver weapon spun in the air, surprisingly enough cutting through _another_ predator that'd flown up before returning to River.

"You know the way!" Riddick ordered the others as he pumped Johns' shotgun and shot at the predators regrouping and attacking them, bloodlust sending them wild now that they'd had a chance to realize that more than one of the humans were bleeding.

"_River_?" Kaylee cried out as the others turned and ran away.

"_Go!_" River ordered and turned her back on the mechanic, flinging out the hunting boomerang once more.

The mechanic looked torn yet did as told, disappearing down the other side of the muddy rise.

Screeches and gunshots filled the air, and the moment the hunting boomerang returned to her hand, River felt the other one grabbed by Riddick as he jerked her around and began a hurried descent, dragging her behind him as the creatures shrieked behind them, hungry and on their trail.

River looked up at the light in the settlement and couldn't help but think that it looked brighter than when they'd left, but didn't have much time to think about that as a predator lunged at her from the side. Tightening her hold on the sharp boomerang, she sliced its face open, not once stopping or slowing down.

They reached the settlement and hurried towards the light, knowing that safety was only a couple of steps away, yet as they stopped in their tracks, frozen by what they saw.

The skiff was a couple of meters away from where they'd left it, and it was in flames.

Riddick reacted quicker and pulled River closer towards the fire and light. "Damned _Johns_!"

Fry, Shazza, Iman, Kaylee and Suleiman were as close to the wreckage as they could without getting burnt by the heat. Iman sat on the ground, eyes closed, moving back and forwards in prayer. Fry was cursing the wind while Suleiman looked somewhat awkward, patting Jack's back as the girl cried into his chest.

Shazza and Kaylee looked up when they spotted Riddick and River, relief obvious in their faces as they hurried to them.

"_You're okay_!" Kaylee once more flew into River's arms, hugging her tightly, bursting into tears. "Don't ever make me leave you again! Don't you _dare _make me choose your life or mine like that again! You could have been killed--!"

River didn't understand what she'd done wrong. She'd protected Kaylee. Wasn't that what she was supposed to do? Why was Kaylee so mad and sad?

"You're not gonna get all mushy on me, right?" Riddick made a face at Shazza.

The Australian threw her head back and laughed despite the circumstances before playfully punching his shoulder. "Not happenin' in this lifetime."

"Good." He honestly looked relieved.

"What the _ruttin' hell_ _happened_ here?!" Fry turned her anger on them, stalking towards them. "Why did you bring us here if the skiff was crashed?!"

"Well, we decided that since the skiff was crashed we would leave the nice warm fire and risk getting killed again to bring all you to the nice little bonfire too since we were all going to die anyhow we should at least do so warm." Riddick deadpanned.

Suleiman looked up from where he was _still_ awkwardly trying to comfort Jack. "The mercenary must have tried to steal the skiff while they were looking for us and crashed."

"The selfish _hundan_!" Kaylee muttered angrily against River's neck as she continued to cry.

"I _told_ him not to try to steal the skiff," Riddick shook his head, pulling his goggles back on as the light from the fire hurt his eyes. He then pulled out something from his pocket. It looked like a little chip. "He just _didn't_ listen."

Fry frowned when she realized what he had in his hand. "That's the auto pilot chip."

Riddick nodded. "Couldn't fly worth shit, 'n all chances of him being able ta do so were cut when I tore off the _hundan's_ hand." He said, referring to the deceased and obviously cremated mercenary. "While he was tryin' to convince River to leave all of you behind I took this out just in case he tried to pull a fast one on us."

"Which, obviously he did." Iman's voice was dead.

Jack pulled her head up from where she'd been crying into Suleiman's chest and blinked, teary eyes on Riddick. "You _tore his hand off_?"

"Sliced it." River corrected mechanically from where she was still awkwardly trying to comfort Kaylee and wondering what the world she'd done wrong _this time_ since she was sure what she'd done had been the correct thing. "Bone-shiv. Ripped through the bone and tendons with one long, clean slice. Very painful."

Fry winced.

Shazza blinked.

Iman began saying his prayers once more.

Kaylee began to _cry_ once more.

Suleiman seemed unaffected.

Jack was silent before nodding curtly in approval. "_Good_."

Hearing the clicking around them, everyone rushed closer to the fire, looking around them, bodies tense, each trying to see into the shadows yet not being able to.

Iman's screaming caused them to turn around in time to see that an adult predator had braved the burn of the light to sink its blade deep within the holy man's thigh and hurriedly dragged him back out into the darkness.

Suleiman screamed out something in Arabic and would have run out to Iman and the retreating predator if Jack hadn't tightened her grip around his waist and kept him with her bodily.

Tearing the pistol from Fry's frozen hands, Shazza whipped around and fired round after round, the first two shots missing completely and disappearing into the darkness around the predator before the next connected with it's shoulder and the other pierced the blade connecting it to its victim.

The creature shrieked and reared back, trying desperately to drag Iman out of sight.

The last bullet in Riddick's weapon, the Big Gauge, echoed throughout the night before the creature's chest apparently exploded with the impact.

"Get him into the light!" Riddick ordered, tearing the pistol from Shazza and firing into the darkness around Iman as predators only the murderer could see tried to get to the holy man.

Shazza and River nodded to each other as River made Kaylee let go and began running into the darkness towards the man praying fervently in his mother language.

As they reached him, the pistol in Riddick's hand clicked empty and he cursed as the women and Iman were left in the darkness without any backup against the predators circling around.

"Move, move, move, move!" He ordered.

Each woman grabbed hold of Iman's arms and began pulling him back frantically towards the light, trying to ignore the furious clicking all around them.

"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil," Iman whispered to himself fiercely. "For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me…"

The clicking stopped, and cold dread filled River as, with her connection to the planet, she felt the air give resistance to the blade flying violently towards her back.

She screamed when a hand grabbed her by her arm and pulled her out of the way right in time to see the blade whish right in front of her, barely missing her. River looked up at Riddick, who pushed her behind him.

"Get back into the _fuckin'_ light!" He snapped as the predator turned its attention on him.

Although worried, River nodded and Shazza and her continued to drag Iman; fear giving them the adrenaline to pull him faster.

Spinning in the air, the creature plunged violently at Riddick, scythe-blade outstretched. In the flash of an eye the murderer reached out and caught the beast under the scythe-blade, blunting the attack.

The predator clicked furiously at him before it reared its head back, readying to bisect the amazingly strong human with its skull-head.

Switchblade fast, Riddick dropped his hand and yanked out his shiv and with a fluid movement swept it over the belly of the beast, tearing it open.

Howling in agony, the predator fell, disemboweled.

River and Shazza were still trying to drag Iman when Riddick stomped towards them and grabbed River, pushing her forwards towards the light before grabbing Iman by the collar and dragging the injured man back into the light with a couple of long strides.

Everyone looked at Riddick in surprise, everyone other than River that was, who just smiled up at him in both thanks and admiration. She'd known he was her equal, knew she'd finally found the other half of her, yet his being able to kill the creature with his hands and a primitive weapon only proved it further.

"H—how--?" Fry stammered from where she stood as Jack finally let go of Suleiman, who rushed towards Iman's side and fell to his knees, crying and saying something rapidly in Arabic. "_H-h-how?_"

"Fucker didn't know I don't like anyone touchin' what's mine." Riddick announced, turning, grabbing River by the shoulders and shaking her roughly. "What the _fuck_ happened out there? You sensed it and you _froze_! Next time something's trying to kill you and you sense it you _fuckin' move_, you hear me?!"

"The girl was programmed not to leave partners behind while on a mission." She replied softly, not frightened of his scowl or showing pain at the way his fingers dug painfully into her or reacting to his violent shaking. He was worried about her, he'd been _terrified_ for a split second before rage took over and he'd confronted the beast.

She smiled up at him.

Riddick looked down at her and shook his head, voice a sure threat. "You do something _feng le_ like that again and the darkness _will_ put you over its knee."

She giggled, knowing she was exasperating him more but couldn't help but love the fact that he was speaking her language again.

There was a dreamy sigh to her right that sounded suspiciously like Kaylee.

"How are you doing, Iman?" Fry asked as she pushed passed Riddick and River, jostling them, and went to stand in front of the injured man, as Shazza used the material Suleiman had torn off of his clothes to try and make a compress to stop the bleeding.

"I--I--." Iman's eyes widened in horror.

"_Grim_!" River gasped as she felt it and looked up in time to see a predator swooped down from above, its blade protruding through Fry's back and stomach.

Everything played through in seconds, yet it seemed like a lifetime as everyone watched in horror as a shocked Fry placed her hands on the blade running through her stomach and looked at them in understanding before the creature shrieked at the light and shot back up into the darkness, taking the pilot with it.

"_Fry_!" Jack screamed, crumbling to her knees, safest of them all as she was the closet to the flames.

"Everyone _down!" _Riddick ordered as another predator swooped down yet shrieked at the light on its skin and flew away. "As close to the fire as possible! _NOW_!"

Shazza and Kaylee stumbled to pull Iman closer to the fire with Suleiman's help, all the while keeping to the ground.

Riddick pulled River behind him and she allowed him to keep her in the warmed and protected with his body around hers as they all huddled together close to the flames.

"We're all going to _die_." Jack whimpered and Kaylee crawled towards her, pulling the crying girl into her arms, planting a kiss on the top of her head of short hair and holding her in a protective embrace.

River closed her eyes as she sensed the creatures all around them, heard the furious clicking as the predators tried over and over again to swoop at them yet couldn't because they were too close to the light.

Feeling them congregating hungrily around, ready to attack altogether, River closed her eyes and buried her face into Riddick's chest.

Suddenly light rained down on them from the heavens, and the swarming predators shrieked in pain at the bright light, darting away frantically.

The survivors, who'd been ready to face their fate, blinked, looking around them and then upwards at the blinding light.

River smiled, keeping her eyes closed tight. "It's raining light."

"_SERENITY!_" Kaylee screamed in delight. "They're here! We've saved!" She then winced when the class Firefly ship had a somewhat _**rough**_ landing close to them, always keeping the light shining on the group of survivors. "_Hmmm_. The captain must be piloting."

* * *

Riddick watched as the cargo doors opened and more light shone in the darkness as three people hurried out, keeping to the light, and fully armed with gun that had flashlights attached to the scopes.

The one in the front was a man with messy brown hair and a long brown coat.

To his left was a big mountain of a man who was armed to the teeth.

And to his right was a caramel-skinned woman whose body _screamed_ military. She probably had been a soldier some time in the past, probably during the Unification War, and if the brown coats both she and the man in front war had anything to say about their allegiance, they'd been on the losing side.

"River? Kaylee?" Someone rushed down from the cargo hold. He looked completely different from the others and screamed _CORE_, most probably a rich kid. He had no weapons.

"_Simon_!" Kaylee screamed as she let go of Jack and ran through the path of light, passed the three armed ones, and went straight into the arms of the well dressed one.

River looked up and tore herself from Riddick's protective grasp, following Kaylee's example and ignoring the armed ones before rushing into the younger man's arms.

The man in the brown coat turned to the woman next to him. "It's amazing how much _love_ I'm feeling right now."

The woman smirked. "Right you are, sir."

The big mountain of a man ignored them and addressed the survivors. "Ya'll gonna git your asses here or ya'll only gonna gap?"

Riddick frowned as he stood up. He didn't like being told what to do.

Shazza and Suleiman quickly helped Iman up, and with Jack's help, took him hurriedly to the class firefly ship and safely into the Cargo Hold.

Riddick followed at a leisurely pace, goggles back on and reminding himself that the man now holding and kissing _his_ woman was her brother. No need to ghost him.

The armed ones followed them from behind and once they were all safely within the Cargo Hold, the big giant of a man hit a lever and the door closed.

A blur of color was all that River was to the normal human eye as she pulled out of her brother's arms and…_flew right into the arms of the man in the brown coat_.

"_Captain_!" She cried happily, arms around his neck, drawing herself against him.

"_Lil' albatross_…" The man, obviously the captain River had spoken of with such open adoration, gave her a smile too tender for Riddick's liking before hugging her to him, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "You okay?"

"I knew you would come for us." She told him fervently.

The man's smile grew even _tenderer_. "'Course I would…" Hearing a banging against the metal of the Cargo Hold's door, he pulled away reluctantly. "So, how about you flyin' us outta here 'fore those creatures tear my ship apart?"

"Yes sir!" Giving him a quick peck on his cheek and beaming up at him, River turned heel and raced up the catwalk and away, passing Simon, Kaylee, Shazza, Suleiman and Jack, who were taking Iman to the infirmary.

The Captain beamed after River before turning to the woman and the mountain of a man behind him. "Now you see--_that's_ how you're supposed to treat your captain."

The big man snorted. "Ain't kissin' ya Mal. Ya ain't my type."

'Mal' glared at him. "You know _gorram_ well that I weren't talkin' 'bout the kiss!"

Riddick left them and slowly followed the scent of River up the catwalk and through a darkened hallway as he felt the class firefly ship lift gracefully from the ground, much different from the way it'd _landed_.

The faceless bastard he was going to kill now had a face…

…a name…

…and an appointment with _Grim_ tonight when the lights went out and everyone was asleep.

* * *

**WhooHooo! They are off the planet! And Riddick is pissed as hell!**

**Review! **

Translation:

Feng le: **crazy**


	11. Rest, NOT Medicine

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROM ME!!**

_**Aewnaur, Glynnis007, Scotty Boi**__ (If you could send me the torrent link that'd be great! Thanks!)__**, Mahone-chic-89, Morgomir, milsa, SharonH, me, AnnaALF, Mach Farcon **__(thanks for the info!!)__**, Horizon, Angelsgift00, Anony, ShadowPhoenix17, jacobsbooo, A1kyndria, AMM3485, FluidDegree, LiasonFan2, Iridescent Twilight, Honey76, spedclass **__and__** Birdy--THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS!**_

_CALM DOWN PEOPLE! I AM __**NEVER EVER**__ GOING TO KILL OFF MALCOLM REYNOLDS IN ANY OF MY FICS (unless I just absolutely 100-ly CAN'T avoid his heroic tendencies), I LOVE THE BUGGER TO DEATH!_

And, um, that said, this here chapter is gonna have some River/Riddick smut--not that GOOD, but something--so, ah, yeah, if you don't like reading about sex or aren't old enough, well, you know what to do.

Also, Inara is NOT on Serenity in my fic. Mal and her were never really in a relationship, and while it IS true that they had GREAT chemistry they never let it go further than that, and I'm sorry, I love 'Nara--just don't see her with Mal though--but in the end of the movie (just finished watching Serenity to be double sure) her answer to Mal's question if she was staying or going was an unsure "Uh, I…I don't know", and then she gave him a little smile. So I decided that in the end she DIDN'T stay because it serves the purpose of my fic better.

I added the Shazza/Zoë talk because someone asked me how Shazza was going to take being a widow and I thought it was a good question.

* * *

Riddick really didn't know what to make of the crew of _Serenity_. When he'd listened to Kaylee on the planet she'd described each crew member and certain events they'd gone through, but no one was as Riddick had pictured them--especially the Captain. The murderer didn't see the often joking man as one of authority--mostly the one most listened to was _Zoë_, his right-hand man—er…_woman_—whom Riddick was sure was having something with the hired-guns.

They all sat around the table in the mess hall. Shazza had gotten into an argument with the captain during their 'introduction'. Apparently Shazza had once met the captain, though neither would say when where or how, and if Riddick had to guess by the glares they gave each other, they hadn't parted on amicable terms.

The Australian glared at the captain throughout the whole conversation until he sneeringly brought up 'that big bluff of a man' who'd been courting her during the time he'd known her, asking what'd happened to him. All the blood had rushed from Shazza's face as she got up and ran away from the table, tears streaming down her face.

Obviously, the 'bug bluff' had been Zeke, her husband, and the realization that he was dead was once more sinking in now that she didn't have to fear for her life.

"_What_?" The captain asked, seeing the glares Kaylee and Jack were giving him. "What did I _say_?!"

"_Men_!" Kaylee continued to glare at the captain while Simon Tam, River's brother, who was _way_ too prissy looking for Riddick's tastes, sat next to her, hand on her knee, as if trying to reassure himself that his _bao-bei_ was back with him safe and sound.

Riddick had to admit that while the younger man looked useless when it came to weapons, he was quite gifted when it came to fixing the damage _caused_ by weapons. He'd taken care of Iman, stitching him up and bandaging him before doing the same to the others and giving them medicine to make sure that none of their wounds would get infected.

"_What_?!" Malcolm Reynolds asked once more, defensive.

"He was the first one killed on that _gorram_ planet cap'n!" Kaylee exclaimed, obviously exasperated. "They were _married_!"

Suddenly all color left Mal's face, much like it had Shazza's. Guilt and pain contorted his features as he turned slightly to look in the direction that the woman had run to. Giving a little huff, he straightened his shoulders and left the mess hall, obviously hot on her trail.

Everyone was silent as they tilted slightly in their seats to watch him go until he turned at a corner and disappeared from sight.

Jack turned to Suleiman before stealing a piece of protein from his plate and plopping it into her mouth. "I bet you twenty that she decks him."

Riddick, who'd been silent and standing in the shadows of the corner, felt eyes on him and turned to look at the mercenary he _knew_ he'd seen before.

" I know you." The man named Jayne announced slowly, eyes widening in recognition. "Since you came in I knew I'd seen ya from somewhere, just couldn't put ma finger on _where_." He blinked. "_You're_ Riddick. Richard Badass Riddick."

Riddick tensed. The survivors had all silently agreed that he'd go by Johns' name now that he'd escaped, yet with his luck he'd _had_ to come across someone who'd recognized him.

Apparently he was going to have to ghost _two_ people on this _gorram_ boat.

The mercenary's face suddenly broke out into a toothy smile. "I remember you. I was workin' with some punkass who was mighty obsessed with ya' some years back. Saw 'im attack ya and you beat the _Gou Shi_ outta 'im…nearly killed 'im too." He frowned. "What was his _ruttin'_ name again?" His eyes widened. "Ah! Yes! _Johns_!"

Everyone at the table froze.

"_Hundan_ never told me ya'd killed _Operatives_ 'n that were why ya were bein' chased." Jayne snorted, leaning back. "Left tha next day. One less Alliance official the better says me." He was silent for a moment. "Ever seen the _hundan_ again?"

Riddick observed the mountain of a man and analyzed his posture, his facial features, and the likelihood that the man could be acting. When he realized that the man didn't have the _ability_ to act, he smirked. "Shived his wrist off."

"Wish I'd seen it." Jack murmured into her food.

Jayne turned to look at the girl and frowned. "Kid, you been hanging 'round moonbrain too long. Yer all kinds a _disturbin_'."

"_Hundan_ wanted to leave us behind!" The girl snapped at the larger man, obviously unafraid of him. "I think I have the _right_ to be pissed at him!"

"Jack!" Kaylee cried out the same time that Zoë announced: "_Language_!"

Jayne shook his head, obviously amused. "Did he still have that _gorram _big shotgun?"

Riddick's smirk growing darker was the only answer given.

The conversation was cut short as Mal and Shazza returned. The woman's eyes were red from tears she'd obviously shed, and the captain's cheek sported an ugly red handprint, yet the antagonism that'd existed between them moments ago seemed gone.

Jack turned to Suleiman, hand outstretched. "Cough up the money."

The older, Arabic boy looked down at her open palm and then up at her expectant face in obvious amusement. "I never said I accepted the bet."

She frowned at him.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Zoë asked, eyeing the ugly handprint on his cheek with a mixture of amusement and worry.  
"Just _shiny_." Mal announced before turning to the others. "Now, even though our_ lil' Albatross_ should be here with all of us she's busy up flyin' my ship through some turbulence and the crew 'n I ain't gonna last 'till she's ready, so someone better be tellin' us what happened on that _gorram_ planet."

Riddick frowned as Jack and Kaylee vied for the story-telling position as they both broke out in hurried words.

_Lil' Albatross?_

What sorta idiotic name was _that_?

His jaw clenched as he viewed the man standing before the table, listening with deep interest as the girls told them all that they'd gone through after crashing on the planet.

The man stood straight, his face an open book of every emotion that rushed through his face. The three emotions most prominent on his face was the obvious feelings he had for the girls, horror at what they nearly hadn't survived, and anger directed at those who'd been responsible for the predators.

Riddick could understand why River was attached to the man, he seemed to honestly care for her and Kaylee, but that didn't mean he had to accept or like Malcolm Reynolds or his part in River's life…nor the close relationship they had.

_'Our lil' Albatross'_…

Riddick shook his head at the way Mal had called River. Everyone on this ship seemed to believe they owned River somehow, especially that big brother of hers, whom she'd had to kick out from where she was piloting _Serenity_ to get him to stop fussing over her bruises, cuts and the scars that would obviously mar her perfect skin. And Riddick didn't like that. He didn't like that one bit.

River Tam belonged to only _one_ person in the 'Verse.

And that person was Richard Badass Riddick.

* * *

Oblivious to the going ons in the mind of one handsome and ridiculously possessive murderer, River put _Serenity_ on auto-pilot once they'd cleared Atmo and the first thing she did afterwards was to wave a surprised Inara.

The Core Companion was now on a planet close to the Rim training young girls to be Companions as well, as she had been for a while now, and her beautiful dark eyes had widened in horror as River explained—to the best of her ability—what had happened since they'd been parted.

Then, when she'd assured the older woman that 'the sun and stars are shiny', she'd pulled out the Big Gauge--figuratively of course--and finally asked the questions that were the reason _why_ she'd waved the Companion in the first place.

To say Inara was surprised would have been an understatement. Her eyes had widened and she'd opened and closed her mouth repeated before asking River if Jayne and her had finally gotten together…or if she was asking because of _Mal_.

That'd caused the assassin to make a face at her friend and explain that there was _someone else_, and the relief had been evident on the Companion's face as she'd announced that neither Mal nor Jayne were the right sorta man for River anyway. And while she didn't ask anything more about this man who'd gotten River smiling and glowing, the Companion had answered all of her questions as thoroughly and clinically as possible.

When they'd ended the wave-contact, River was sure that she had the theory down pat. Getting up, trying to push away her nervousness, she went in search of Riddick.

* * *

Shazza laid down on the bunk, looking up at the ceiling, holding the pillow to her breaking heart. Images of Zeke and the good times they'd had together raced through her mind, she could hear his accented voice chuckling in her ear, and could feel his loving and surprisingly gentle touch on her shoulder as if he was there in spirit trying to comfort her.

She'd been married to him since she was seventeen, and while he could be course and vulgar with everyone else, he'd loved her, and had treated her like a valuable crystal that could break at any moment despite the fact that she was _far_ from being fragile.

He'd always wanted to keep her safe, had always promised to be there with her, to spoil their kids rotten and make _her_ be the disciplinary figure in their lives. His favorite joke was that if she kept frowning she'd look like his mother--and considering that he was somewhat older than her the thought would always make her smile and forget whatever had been troubling her at the moment.

But Zeke wasn't here, he'd never be with her again, and she hadn't even been able to say _goodbye_.

That was what killed her the most. She hadn't been able to tell him that she loved him and was going to miss him more than life itself.

A knock on the door caused her to jerk up into a sitting position on the bed and wipe furiously at the tears staining her skin. "Come in."

The door opened and Shazza was surprised to see Zoë Washburne, Mal's right-hand woman, come inside.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." The beautiful, dark-skinned woman announced slowly, obviously uncomfortable. "But my bunk is on the other side of yours and I couldn't help but overhear your crying."

"I'm sorry, wasn't tryin' ta have an audience. Didn' even realize I was cryin' loud." Shazza lowered her gaze, ashamed and embarrassed.

The other woman stood awkwardly in the doorway before speaking once more. "No, I--I came here because I want you to know that I understand what you're going through."

Shazza's gaze lifted at that.

The woman lowered _her_ gaze, face suddenly downtrodden. "I lost my husband a year ago to a Reaver harpoon. I was right there, one minute he was speaking and the next that monstrosity was sticking out of his chest, pinning him to the pilot seat and taking him away from me forever." There was a pause as she shivered. "I can never go to the pilot room without remembering that sight up to this very day."

Shazza gulped loudly, hugging the pillow tighter to her. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Zoë gave her a teary, thankful smile as she continued. "I just want you to know that there is someone who understands how you feel. I know you think that you're alone and that life shouldn't go on now that he isn't here, but if your husband was like my Mister, then I know he wouldn't want you to stop living just because he did."

The words were frank, yet utterly truthful. "I know Zeke'd have want me ta go on, but he was me anchor." Shazza whispered, pouring her heart out to this stranger. "He was me home."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Zoë asked slowly. "You won't start to heal until you let go of all the pain, and the best way to do so is talking."

Shazza nodded, and the other woman awkwardly went to sit on the bed next to her as she began to pour her heart out.

* * *

River had always hated her gift, yet now she shamelessly used it to steer clear of everyone else on the ship other than Kaylee. She'd asked the mechanic if she knew where Riddick had been placed to sleep, and when the other girl had slyly answered, River couldn't help but blush.

"I'll keep Simon busy tonight so he doesn't go to yer bunk and realize that ya ain't in it." Kaylee'd announced with a conspirator's whisper before hurrying off to find River's _Ge-Ge_ and 'keep him busy'.

With that obstacle taken care of--although River knew that Simon would _have_ to find out soon and wouldn't be all too happy when he did--the young woman continued on her way to the bunk that Kaylee had told her Mal had given Riddick.

Finding the dark room and slipping into it noiselessly, River noticed Riddick lying still on the bed, hands behind his head, breathing peacefully, apparently asleep. Her heart sped up rapidly as her hands began to sweat.

She was _nervous_.

While her hymen had broken at the Academy due to the strenuous exercise and activities they'd made her perform, River knew that what she was about to do would still hurt to some degree.

But Inara had promised her that it would be pleasurable as well once the pain of the initial invasion subdued.

She gulped.

Sometimes knowing all the science behind something didn't make it any easier…or less terrifying.

But she wanted to do this.

Taking in a deep breath, she took slow steps towards the sleeping man, glad that he was asleep. That gave her enough time to muster up some courage on her way to him and the bed…the bed in which she was determined to give him her virginity.

_Buddha_, she'd just gotten doubly nervous.

_Better not overanalyze this soon encounter_, she decided with a firm shake of her head before reaching the bed and looking down at him with another loud gulp. He was all sculpted muscles; every inch of him looked like stone--slightly like Jayne--yet oh-so much more appealing.

She made to reach for him yet quickly pulled her hand back when she noticed the mud and grim capping her skin, face turning red. She had yet to bathe! She'd been so excited to be back home, and had been so busy flying _Serenity_ and talking to Inara that she'd forgotten to bathe!

Embarrassment coating her skin in a lovely pinkish glow, River turned to hurry out and take a nice long bath before returning to resume the mission when something went around her wrist tightly and jerked her back.

Not having expected this, River let out a little squeal and fell onto the bed and the hard body of the man who apparently _hadn't_ been sleeping the whole time.

"And where were _you_ going?" His eyes still closed, Riddick's voice was a deep growl reverberating beneath her.

"To bathe." River announced and would have tried getting back up if Riddick's _other_ hand hadn't gone around her back to keep her flat against him. She gulped as she looked down into his handsome face, feeling her body pressed so intimately against his, and recognizing the stirring in the junction of his legs that Inara had told her proved that a man was aroused and thus she was doing a good job seducing him.

This confused River. She had _yet_ to start her coldly calculated plan of seduction and yet he was reacting.

Why?

The hand around her waist lowered to cup her ass and press her down harder on his growing erection, and Riddick let out a low moan.

Her brown eyes widened.

Her body's contact with his was arousing him so quickly?

She smiled brightly.

This was going to make her seduction so much _easier_!

But still… "This girl must cleanse the dirt and grim from her skin before she can return to seduce the darkness." She told him as-a-matter-of-factly, tilting her head in confusion when he chuckled in amusement beneath her.

Had she said something…_comical_?

The girl pouted darkly.

This seduction wasn't going to plan at _all_. She wanted him _aroused_, NOT _amused_!

"Why would you do something like that?" Riddick purred before, in the blinking on an eye, he'd switched their positions so that she was beneath him and he was between her legs, eyes finally open and watching her like a predator. "I _like_ my girls _dirty_."

She shivered at the jolt of desire that shot through her body at the look of she could see in those silver orbs.

His gaze raked her silently before it rested on her heaving chest. "So," his voice was husky with desire as he tore open the top of her dress, voice deepening when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. "Other than your brother…who might go to your bunk and figure out you didn't spend the night there?"

River whimpered and arched up when his teeth found her nipple, biting into it harsh enough to mix pain with the pleasure. She cried out and felt heat rapidly pooling at the juncture of her thighs, along with a desire and need so deep it was distracting.

With his hand, Riddick teased her other nipple, rolling it through his fingers, alternating soft and hard pinches that caused her to cry out and jerk at the jolts of electric pleasure it caused.

"I doubt _Jayne_ would go that way." Riddick murmured against her nipple before pulling away with harsh suck, moving his attention up her heaving chest to nibble on her collar bone. "But what about the _captain_?"

He squeezed her nipple extra hard at the last word and she moaned, bucking her hips up towards him in response.

"_Hmmm_?" He questioned darkly against her skin as he traveled up her neck to the shell of her ear, running his tongue around the rim. "Will the good captain be findin' some excuse to go to your room tonight?"

Realizing that he was waiting on an answer, River somehow found her voice and forced her eyes back open. "Captain Daddy sometimes checks in to make sure that his _lil' Albatross_ is fine, yet tonight the past is all that is in his mind. I feel he's aura from here, it's troubled, angry, confused, and nostalgic."

Riddick froze above her before removing his mouth from her ear and moving to look at her in her face. "Captain _Daddy_?!"

She wondered why he looked so confused. "Captain Daddy, like Zeus, god of the heavens, made the stars and the sun his Athena and Aphrodite."

River watched the suddenly realization cross over his features before they were blank once more, and couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't realized that Mal thought of Kaylee and herself as the daughters he could have had if the war hadn't ruined his life.

Suddenly Riddick shook his head, chuckling darkly. "You have _no_ idea how fortunate he is that you told me that."

But before River could figure out what he was talking about, Riddick's mouth descended upon hers in a furious, claiming kiss that burnt her from inside.

She groaned in pleasure and before she knew what she was doing, her hands were running down his back, her fingers tearing into his shirt as his hand ran down the side of her body to her thigh and then back up.

The next instances were too blurry for her to remember them clearly. All she knew was that he got off of her but before she could protest he'd yanked off her pants and soon after his naked body was covering hers once more and he probed her entrance.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

He was _huge_…much larger than Inara had told her male organs were when fully aroused!

Would he fit in her?

What if she was too small?

What if--?

All of her thoughts and worries turned into a lusty and slightly pain-filled moan as, with one swift shove, he was buried within her slick passage to the hilt. She'd been one with many people due to her psychic abilities, yet this was a unity unlike any she'd ever experienced, and when he began to move within her, the pleasure she'd experienced at his mouth's ministrations seemed like child's play at the electrical overcharge now taking over.

"_Riddick_…" She moaned out his name for the first time in a tone she didn't know she had, and dug her fingers into his now naked back, throwing her head back and closing her eyes at the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her body as he pulled out only to push back in nearly violently, shoving her back physically. "_Uh! Uh!_"

He chuckled in her ear with smug, manly satisfaction before letting a pleasured groan escape when she gave an experiment thrust of her hips, meeting him halfway. "_Fuck_, yes, do that!" He hissed when she continued to do so, encouraged by his reaction. "You're so _tight_!"

Apparently, that was a _good_ thing.

"_RidRidRidRidRidRidRiddick!_" She gasped, eyes rolling in the back of her head as she felt something coiling tightly in her stomach with every thrust. It was painful yet in such a way it was pleasurable and she wanted more…she wanted _much more_.

Sneaking a hand between their joined bodies, Riddick pressed the pad of his finger on her clit and, and smirking in her face, began to tease it mercilessly.

It was as if she died.

Something exploded within her and she came with a scream Riddick did _nothing_ to try and muffle, as she grasped him tightly, riding the blinding wave of pleasure over and over again for what seemed like eternity before, with a hoarse cry Riddick buried his teeth in the curve of her neck, drawing blood as he came within her.

Rolling her hips slowly beneath him, continuing to milk the still throbbing dick, River giggled when he took his teeth from her skin to lap up at the small trickles of blood with his tongue.

Growling seductively, Riddick pulled out of her, earning a moan of pleasure for River before he turned her around so that she was lying with her back against his chest.

Possessive arm around her waist, Riddick's body relaxed, obviously readying to sleep and not giving her the option of choice whether to stay or go.

Shaking her head, grin on her face, River closed her eyes and burrowed back closer to him before letting out a satisfied sigh and falling asleep.

* * *

Early morning, Simon Tam smiled as he watched Kaylee moaning something in her sleep about engines before turning over and burying her face in her pillow. He couldn't believe that she was back here in his arms safe and sound with only a cut on her arm to prove that her life had been in danger multiple times during the time she'd been gone.

A frown touched his features as he bent and gave his sleeping _bao-bei_ a kiss and left their room, not surprised to find that mostly everyone was already up and doing something. He'd checked on Iman earlier and the man had been doing well, amusedly watching Jack torment Suleiman, who didn't seem as tormented as she'd obviously have liked.

As he passed by the mess hall, Simon's frown continued to grow, and it wasn't because he saw Shazza cooking breakfast with Zoë, talking as if they'd been best friends for ages and not like they'd only met each other the night before.

Nor was his frown darker because Mal had been avoiding Shazza all morning, yet would sneak glances of her when the woman walked in a room where he was.

No.

Nor was it the fact that Simon _knew_ Jayne and Zoë were together ever since Zoë had come to him some months ago asking for birth control.

No.

The reason Simon was frowning was because he couldn't find his sister.

He'd gone to her room earlier and found that she must have gotten up earlier than he and made the bed before leaving to begin piloting _Serenity_. That didn't bother him because River hardly ever slept much--which was why he was always trying to push some sleeping pill in her--and would usually be up and doing things at ungodly hours of the morning.

But things like that were what made River _River_, so he'd only shaken his head and gone to the pilot's hold only to find her seat unoccupied and _Serenity _still set on auto-pilot.

He'd then gone searching for his sister--he _really_ needed to give her her medicine and look over her injuries better--and couldn't find her.

After checking all of her usual hideouts, he'd gone back to his room to see if his sister hadn't gone to visit Kaylee, yet his beautiful sweetheart was still sleeping and arguing with someone in her dreams about which engine was better for a battle cruiser, so he was _once more_ looking for his sister and getting worried.

Where the world _was_ she?

Turning towards the cabin of the only passenger who had yet to appear as well, Simon sighed, knocking. While he didn't trust this _Riddick_ persona, nor like him in the least bit, Kaylee had assured him that the man had taken care of his _Mei-Mei_ while on M6-177 and that he'd even saved her life, so the doctor decided that he was going to be nice to him…at least until he got off on the next port.

Realizing that no one was answering the knock, Simon opened the door to ask the man inside if he'd seen River when light streamed inside the dark room and the doctor's eyes widened in horror when he saw the man lying naked in bed, goggles on, watching him smugly…with a sleeping, _NAKED_, River practically lying _on him_.

And Simon didn't need to be a doctor to know that this wasn't just some innocent "I-can't-sleep-because-of-nightmares-can-I-slept-in-the-bed-with-you?" scenario. No, the smell of _sex_ saturated the whole room.

"_Gao yang zhong de gu yang!_" Simon cursed, going from horrified to enraged in seconds. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

"Now _Doc_," the bastard's voice was pure insolence. "I would have thought they'd have taught you that in your fancy medical school. At _least_ in biology."

Simon clenched his fists tightly.

River murmured something in her sleep and cuddled closer to the man. "Stop thinking such nasty things Simon. You're such a _boob_."

"_Mei-Mei_!" Simon _knew_ she shouldn't have gone so long without her medicine! "_Mei-Mei_, what's going on? What--?"

"Sleepy, Simon." Her voice was muffled since her face was in Riddick's chest. "Go away. Copulated almost non-stop all night--and most of the early morning. Need rest. Not medicine."

"_Mei-Mei…_"

With a swift movement she'd thrown a pillow at his face, causing him to stumble backwards from the blow and tear it away from his face, growing red when Riddick chuckled in dark amusement. "I'm going to tell the captain!"

"Close the door on your way out." Riddick told him.

Glaring at the other man, Simon slammed the door shut behind him and stalked to find Mal, choking the pillow in his hands.

* * *

**Hey everyone! How did you like that chapter? I was sooooo nervous, not exactly sure how to write a sex scene between them but I think I did okay, not as good as I would have wished, but it's my first "Ridver" (I CALL DIBS ON THIS SHIP NAME!) sex scene so I don't fell too bad about how it came out.**

**Oh well, review please!**

**Translation:**

**Bao-bei: Sweetheart**

**Motherless goat of all motherless goats:** _Gao yang zhong de gu yang_


	12. Acceptance and New Mecca

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROMME!!**

_SharonH, Aewnaur, Mach Farcon, Honey76, Angelsgift00, Birdy, AnnaALF, CountryGirl07, jacobsbooo, AMM3485, A1kyndria, FluidDegree, Glynnis007__ (glad you liked it so much. I have a weakness for long reviews with a lot of thought so I enjoyed reading what you had to say)__, Iridescent Twilight __(I cried when Wash died as well)__, Morgomir, spedclass, MissBe, kanna of the void, Chaotic Jinx, _and_ ShadowPhoeniz17__**--THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!**_

This is the semi-last chapter. There really isn't much to write about, just trying to tie in the characters and show how everyone is beginning to adjust. The next chapter should be the last one, and if I write more it would probably be a sequel set in the Chronicles.

**Information for those who **_**haven't **_**watched Firefly/Serenity****: The "Blue Hands" is what River calls the men at the Academy that experimented on her. I think they used blue doctor's gloves or something like that.**

* * *

"_WHAT!?" _It was too early for this.

Malcolm Reynolds ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at the infuriated doctor glaring up at him as if it was somehow _his _fault that his little sister was--and with--and all night--.

Shaking his head, the captain of _Serenity _took in a deep, shaky breath. He must be sleeping. That had to be it. He was having some very morbid dream thanks to the doc's atrocious cooking last night.

That _had _to be it!

"_Well_?!" Simon grounded out. "What the _ruttin' _hell are you going to do about it?!"

Simon had just said '_ruttin'_--didn't that just _prove _that this was only a dream?

_Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup…_

"Why are you tellin' this to _me __gorramit_?!" Mal asked the dream-Simon, since his subconscious seemed persistent in keeping him in this dream--which was quite _vivid _for a dream--the most vivid one he'd ever experienced actually.

Everyone were congregating about them, watching them in confusion.

He'd never dreamt of the whole crew together like this before.

"_You're _the one who always says that this is your ship and that you want to be informed of anything that's going on in it!" Simon roared out, face bled of all color.

"I said I wanted ta know what everyone was _doin' _on this ship--_NOT __**WHO **_everyone was doin'!"

"Who's doin' who?" Jayne asked Zoë in an excited whisper.

The first-mate just shrugged her shoulder in confusion.

"I want him thrown out of the airlock for abusing my _sister_!"

Jayne's face went comical. "The _moonbrain's _gettin' laid?!" He ignored the glares Simon, Zoë and Shazza were giving him.

"What's all the shouting 'bout?" Kaylee murmured as she appeared, dragging her feet as she walked and looking still half asleep. "There was so much screams I wondered if'n we hadn't been boarded by Reavers."

Simon turned to Kaylee, looking worried as he grabbed her hands. "Bao-bei, something happened, something _very _bad happened."

Kaylee was awake in seconds and looked frightened. "It ain't _really _Reavers, right? 'Cause I was just jok--."

" No _Bao-bei_." Simon looked deep within her eyes. "This morning I couldn't find River and after searching the ship I found her in that _murderer's _bunk!"

"Was she nekkid?" Jayne asked, and then made a sound of pain when Zoë and Shazza both elbowed him roughly in the ribs.

"_Was _she?" Kaylee seconded the question, eyes wide.

Mal winced, wondering if Simon should really let Kaylee know that the murderer had taken advantage of the young girl. Kaylee was a really sensitive creature. She mightn't recover from the horror.

Simon took in a deep breath. "Yes, _bao-bei_. They were both naked." He looked in pain. "I--."

"_Yeah_!" Kaylee whooped, fist shooting up in the air as she giggled. "It worked! I'm so _glad _for them!"

Mal's mouth fell open.

Simon dropped Kaylee's hands, looking horrified before placing his palm to her forehead as if searching for fever.

"You _knew_?" Zoë asked, elbowing a silent yet leering Jayne Cobb harshly once more.

"_Gorramit _woman!" Jayne cursed, rubbing his now aching ribs. "I didn't say no _gorram _thing!"

"But you were _thinking g_it." The caramel beauty deadpanned.

Simon finally found his voice, looking up at the mechanic in horror. "Kaylee, you _knew _that Riddick was taking advantage of River and didn't _say _anything?"

Kaylee's smile froze. "Now wait a minute there _bao-bei_, Riddick ain't takin' 'vantage of _no one_. Your _sister _was the one who went looking for him last night to seduce him."

Simon looked utterly sick. "River is a mentally unstable young girl! How could you—knowing this—allow her to do such a thing without at least telling the captain and I so that we could keep her from making such a huge mistake?!"

Kaylee frowned darkly at her boyfriend. "River is more stable than you want to admit! She went without those _ruttin' _medications you keep forcin' down her throat and she did just fine! She was even more lucid and able to speak more normal without them!"

Simon placed his hand on Kaylee's shoulder in what would seem to be a placating way. "Now _bao-bei_, I know that it would _seem _that way to you, but _I'm _River's doctor, and I--."

"Don't you _bao-bei _ME bao-bei!" Kaylee shrugged off his arm angrily.

Mal blinked. Kaylee mad was a rare thing to see. Kaylee mad at _SIMON _had never happened until this moment, and the captain couldn't help but find it all mildly entertaining.

"Medicines?" Shazza asked, speaking with a disapproving tone that'd been directed too many times in Mal's direction in the past for comfort. "You were forcing _medicine _into that girl?!"

Simon sighed in growing annoyance. He never _did _liked explaining his actions towards his sister. "I don't know _what _you know about my sister, but she's a mentally unstable young girl who needs me to take care of her and--."

"No, _ya _don't know yer sister like _I _do!" Shazza stepped forwards, looking so intimidating and angry that Mal had to gulp, remembering how his cheek had stung all last night from her slap. "She _saved _us, she 'n Riddick _both_. If'n it hadn't been for _them _we'd not have made it out alive!"

She shivered before continuing a shaky voice. "River _personally _saved _my life_, she made decisions, and she _took care of us_. Ask yer girlfriend if'n you ain't believing me, she'll tell you that maybe yer sister don't need ya as much as ya _need _her ta need ya."

Simon froze, looking torn, hurt, and somewhat angered.

Jayne looked absolutely entertained with the whole confrontation.

"She's right, Simon." Kaylee whispered, placing _her _hand on _his _shoulder. "Riddick understands her River-talk, he took care of her, protected her from Johns when he was trying to kill her, and he went up against one of those _hundan _creatures with just a bone-shiv and his bare hands to keep it from killing her."

Mal frowned. He hadn't heard _that _story last night. Why hadn't they told him it?

"And she really likes him." Kaylee went on in her soft voice, visibly soothing the hurt and angered doctor obviously suffering from a mighty dose of brotherly jealousy. "_She _searched him out, _she _made her choice, and I know that you love her more than your own life and that you still see her as that little girl she was before the Alliance messed her up--but she _ain't _no little girl Simon. She's eighteen, and she's old enough to make her own choices."

"Her own _mistakes _you mean." Yet Simon's voice was without malice. It was pure defeat. "She's my little sister, Kaylee; I don't want to see her get hurt. And—and—I mightn't know Riddick personally, but I know men like him and Jayne. They don't have a heart and no real desire for commitment. They're just in it for the _trim_--and River has suffered too much already to just be someone's _trim_."

" Hey!" Jayne cried out, clearly insulted.

"What's _'trim'_?" Jack whispered to Suleiman, who just blushed scarlet and refused to acknowledge the question.

Mal looked down in amusement at the two youngsters before shaking his head and sighing, finally admitting to himself that this _wasn't _a dream and his lil Albatross had indeed just taken up with the guy Jayne had referred to the night before as the 'blackest hearted murderer tha 'Verse ever had ever seen who could kill six men with a _gorram _teacup and a bottle of spam.'

"Does he really?" Simon asked softly.

"Does he really _what_, _bao-bei_?" Kaylee asked.

The doctor closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before asking: "Understand her River-talk?"

Kaylee broke out in a large smile as she nodded.

Shaking his head again, Mal pushed passed Simon and the others, making towards the bunk where the two in question were.

"Sir?" Zoë asked in confusion.

"Where are ya goin' Mal? Tha party's 'ere!" Jayne called from behind him.

"I'm the captain of _Serenity_." Mal announced over his shoulder, brown coat flying behind him. "I'm going to go to the source of the disturbance on _my _ship and get to the bottom of this. Hopefully they have on their _clothes _by the time I get there."

There were rapid footsteps behind him as it would seem _no one _wanted to miss the confrontation.

"Now Mal," Shazza appeared by his side, long dark curls bouncing wildly around her sun-bronzed face as she turned to look at him reproachfully. "Don't go and do anything _stupid_."

He frowned, turning to her, slightly insulted. "Now why would ya go and assume that what I'm about ta do is stupid-wise?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "'Cause I know you."

He bristled, glaring at her beautiful face. "You knowin' me when I was eighteen and you knowin' me _now _are two _completely_ different things! I'm not the same person I was back then."

"True." She agreed as they continued on the way to Riddick's bunk. "You were handsomer back then. And more understanding."

He froze once more, turning to look at her in outrage. "I'll have you know that I'm a _very _handsome man! I'm also an agreeable, independent, self-supporting man who is the captain of his _own _ship and has the love, support, and respect of his crew!"

Jayne snorted somewhere behind them.

Mal ignored him, glaring down into Shazza's unimpressed face. _So...how does Zeke compare to THAT?!_

"If yer such a catch, _Captain_ _Reynolds_, then why aren't you married?" The woman challenged, obviously reading his silent question and pissed as hell at him for even thinking it.

"I _was _married!" Malcolm announced, slightly disturbed that she still knew him and his way of thinking oh-so well.

Kaylee and Simon moaned at the reminder while Jayne burst out into a long string of curses about conniving bitches.

"Sir, I don't think bringing up _Saffron _was your best move." Zoë announced flatly from his other side. "She _is _married to more men than one can count and _did _marry you under false pretenses before overtaking the ship and sending us off to be scrapped by pirates."

Mal felt his face going red at the look Shazza was giving him. Dammit! _Gorramit all to hell! _Even _dead _Zeke was making him seem like an idiotic teenaged boy with a crush!

"Why am I na surprised that yer marriage was like that?" Shazza shook her head with a sigh.

Mal bit his tongue to keep from saying something to her in anger that he wouldn't be able to take back, especially if that something proved to the beautiful woman that it hadn't been as easy for him to forget her and move on completely as it'd obviously been for _her_. "Let's go wake up _Lil' Albatross _and Riddick and get this over with." He snapped before stomping away.

* * *

Stretching leisurely like a cat, River could sense Simon, Captain Daddy, and apparently _the whole crew _storming towards the bunk, but she was too comfortable to even try to move. After Simon had left, Riddick had told her to go and put on some clothes since her brother would _obviously _be returning with the captain, and the murderer didn't want _either _to get a look at her bare skin, so she'd silently gone to her bedroom, taken a quick bath, changed clothes, and returned only to jump right back in bed.

The door flew open and Malcolm Reynolds entered the bunk, freezing in the doorway and causing those behind to walk into him. Shazza was the only one who avoided it since she'd been walking at his side, and the elder woman just smiled at River and Riddick.

"Gud'night I 'spect?" She gave River a quick grin.

River blushed thoroughly and nodded.

Riddick chuckled at her.

River gave him a glare.

"_Morning_!" Kaylee pushed passed Simon and skipped into the room, bright smile on her face. "I would have gone and bathed, but I decided that I needed to be here to give cap'n the kicked-puppy look if he gets outta hand, and to catch Simon if he faints."

"Hey!" Both men cried out.

Kaylee gave them a wide-eyed, innocent look.

Jayne snickered and then cried out in pain when Zoë elbowed him once more.

Mal drew himself to his full-height and looked at them. River could feel his worry about her and couldn't help but smile at him. He really _was_ her Captain Daddy.

"Now, Richard--Simon brought this _occurrence_ to my attention, and since _lil' Albatross_ is like my daughter, I'm going to do the same thing to you that I did to _Simon_ when I found out that when he was 'helping' Kaylee in the engine room he was fiddling with my _mechanic_ and NOT with the machinery…"

Simon went beet red and Jayne leered at him. "Shut _up_ ape-man if you don't want me telling the captain something I'm sure he'd send you out of the airlock for."

Jayne scowled angrily at the doctor who was obviously referring to the relationship the hired-guns was secretly having with Zoë.

Thankfully, Mal was so intent in his mission that he didn't hear that, and continued on, glaring at Riddick. "What are your intentions when it comes to my pilot? She's like my daughter and I won't let you use her because you couldn't wait 'till we docked at port to buy some whores and have some trim."

"_Oh!_" Jack's eyes went wide from the back of the group as she _finally_ understood what 'trim' meant.

Suleiman, caramel skin glowing red, refused to look in her direction.

"So," Mal took in a deep breath. "Once again I ask you. What are your intentions with my pilot?"

Throughout the whole thing Riddick had been silent, sitting leisurely in the bed, leaning against the wall with River draped over him, resting her head on his lap. While his mental wall was back up completely, the girl could feel his amusement rolling off of him as he took in her family.

"She's mine." He finally announced in a 'this-should-be-obvious' voice. "I'm keeping her."

"She's not a _puppy _for you to just 'keep' her!" Simon's aura vibrated with brotherly worry and indignation.

A slow smirk that was pure sex graced the face of the handsome murderer, causing the women in the room to smile and blush, some even sigh. "I don't know 'bout that Doc, last night was more animalistic than anything I've ever experienced."

River blushed at the pleased satisfaction he felt when he remembered the night before and that very morning.

Simon looked ready to faint.

Kaylee grabbed hold of him just in case.

Jack was _blushing_ and had inched away from Suleiman so that she was as far from the blushing boy as possible without looking too suspicious.

Shazza and Zoë shared knowing smiles.

Jayne was looking at River in consternation, not able to believe that the 'moonbrain' was getting laid.

Mal's thoughts were as confusing as the expression on his face. "So…this _keeping_, it goin' ta be done on my ship or are we gonna ta have ta hurt ya for tryin' to take away my pilot? _Serenity_ won't fly without her."

The amusement grew in Riddick. He obviously knew that he could disarm and kill the males on the ship easily and rapidly, and so he felt no threat from them at all, finding the whole situation amusing.

"We'll be staying, for _now_." Riddick informed Mal, hands behind his head. "You need a pilot, River's that pilot and I know enough myself to help her in rough situations. And you can never have too many guns on your jobs."

Mal's eyes swung to River. "You told him about our _jobs_?"

River nodded.

Mal returned his glare at Riddick. "We don't pay much."

"You're not much in the way of company either." Riddick deadpanned.

Mal chose to ignore that. "But you'll get your share of whatever profit we make, and food and board are free."

"Talking about jobs, sir." Zoë spoke up, hands behind her back. "According to the computer we'll be reaching New Mecca in a couple of hours. We can drop off the holy man, resupply, and go see that client."

Mal nodded, before turning to Riddick. "Well, Richard, seems I'll get to see just how good you really are." With that, he turned and made his way through the crowd behind him, leaving River and Riddick in the bunk.

"Well, what are you all still doin' here looking?" Shazza asked the onlookers, hands on her hips. "I made breakfast 'n it'll be cold if y'all don't hurry!"

Everyone turned and hurried away.

Everyone but Simon, who hesitated at the door and took in a deep breath before speaking to Riddick. "If you don't take care of her or treat her well, I don't _care_ how badass you are, I have more than twenty ways I can kill or incapacitate you with what little medicine and surgical tools I have here."

Riddick's smirk grew, and he nodded silently, acknowledging the warning and reluctant acceptance.

Simon took in a deep breath and turned to leave.

"Simon!" River pulled away from Riddick and hurried to her feet, throwing herself into her surprised brother's arms. The girl hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

He smiled down at her tenderly. "You tell me if he treats you bad. I'll knock him out with chloroform and castrate him."

"'Kay." She smiled up at him.

Giving River a kiss on her forehead, Simon sent Riddick another glance over her head and left, closing the door behind him.

The young woman turned to the silent murderer. "Family accepted."

"Doesn't matter if they do or don't." Riddick told her.

"To girl it does." She smiled before climbing back in bed, returning to resting her head on his lap. "To girl it does."

* * *

"Now you wave regularly." Kaylee told Jack as she looked at the young girl. While she was going to miss her terribly, she was glad that Iman had decided to take Jack with Suleiman and him and keep her safe. Life on _Serenity_ wasn't for children, and the holy man had proven to be a good man and an obviously good father.

"Sure." Jack smiled sadly at her. "I'll need female advice in a bit, 'n I don't think I'll be gettin' any from Iman, so I'll be gettin' into contact with you. No worries."

"Good." Kaylee gave the girl another hug. "I want you to behave, though. I know you like bothering Suleiman, but he's going to take care of you from now one so don't make it hard for him, okay?"

Jack nodded obediently, returning the hug.

Pulling away, tears making their way down her cheeks, she stood. River, captain, Riddick, Jayne and Zoë had gone to go meet the client and Kaylee and the others were left to say goodbye to Iman, Jack and Suleiman. "Go on now."

Jack nodded and hurried to where Iman and Suleiman were waiting. She looked like she was trying desperately to cry, and the grateful smile she gave Suleiman when the boy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder assured Kaylee that the younger girl was going to enjoy life with the Chrislams and be well taken care of.

"She'll be fine Kaylee girl." Shazza smiled at her side.

In a _very_ awkward encounter, after breakfast (where everyone had been surprised at how delicious Shazza's food had been), Mal had turned to the woman and offered her room and board if she wanted to stay on as _Serenity's_ cook since most of them couldn't cook at all. The woman (and everyone else) had been visibly surprised by the offer, but she'd rapidly accepted it saying she had no where else to go and would love to stay on _Serenity_.

And with a small smile, Mal had left to go see the clients.

" Wanna come with me to the market?" Shazza asked, basket under one arm and a list in the other. She'd taken her position as official cook seriously and had immediately looked through their supplies and made a list of what they would need, calculated approximately how much she would need to buy them, and somehow wrangled the money out of a usually closed-purse Mal as easily as Kaylee made Simon go ga-ga.

" Sure." Kaylee smiled, wiping at the tears still in her eyes. "I need ta go get some parts anyway. You can see that cap'n was piloting my poor baby, _Serenity's_ all shook up. She missed River's piloting sorely."

Shazza chuckled as they made their way into town. "I 'member Mal's drivin'. We actually met 'cause I was caught in a torrential rain on my way home 'n he had a covered mule 'n offered me a ride. After a couple of minutes with his drivin' I told him ta let me out in the rain 'cause I wasn't goin' ta ride in that death-trap any longer."

Kaylee giggled. "Well, his piloting _is_ better, but he ain't as good as Wash was, or as River is."

Shazza nodded silently as they made it to the marketplace and started looking at the food on sale, taking notice of the prices and eyeing the sellers, trying to figure out which ones they could haggle with and get lower prices.

"_Gorramit_."

Shazza looked up when she heard Kaylee whisper that, and frowned. The girl had gone pale. "What is it?"

"Alliance officers." The mechanic whispered, seeing the small group of men in uniform enter the marketplace, looking over everyone as if searching for someone.

As the officers made their way to them, Kaylee pretended to be interested in some vegetables and Shazza looked up when the taller of the men came towards her.

"Good day ma'am." The man announced in a detached way.

"Gud'day." She nodded, face neutral. "How may I help you officer?"

"We have word that a very dangerous criminal was seen here earlier." He showed her a frozen image of a younger looking River Tam, with her name and the words **Dangerous** written beneath the image. "Have you seen her?"

Shazza frowned at the image but shook her head, looking up into the officer's eyes as Zeke had told her to do whenever in the presence of an Alliance officer. "No, I haven't."

"If you see her, find one of us and let us know immediately." The man ordered.

"Of course." Shazza nodded and watched as the man joined his friends, shook his head, and they continued forwards in the marketplace, showing everyone the frozen image of River Tam.

"They know she's here." Kaylee turned to Shazza, eyes showing fear and anger. "_Gorramit,_ the _ruttin' hundans_ know she's here!"

"Why is the Alliance looking for River?" Shazza asked.

"Not enough time." Kaylee placed her hand on her arm. "Someone's gonna remember seeing River and lead those _hundans_ right to where she is. We need to warn the others!"

Shazza nodded. "Kaylee, you go 'n tell Simon to ready the infirmary in case we have some injured. Start the engines, we'll need to get offa this rock as soon as possible! I'm going ta go where they said they'd be meetin' 'n warn Mal."

Kaylee nodded. "Be careful."

Shazza nodded before shoving the basket into Kaylee's hands and hurrying through the crowd towards the bar where Mal had said they could be found if they were needed.

_Lemme get there on time_.

* * *

River knew that no one thought much of her when they saw her. Mostly all they noticed was a skinny young woman with flowing black hair and dresses that flittered around her in the breeze. No one noticed the shiv hidden in a strap around her thigh or the gun holster she had around her arm with the shiny gun blinking at anyone who paid attention.

Everyone thought it was just a rouse to make her look more intimidating--a rouse that didn't work because she looked like a child wearing her mother's shoes, but that suited their necessities perfectly. Everyone tended to either ignore or leer at her, completely comfortable in her presence, and that made reading them all the more easy.

She looked at the scene before them.

Mal was sitting with Jayne, a silent Riddick, and their two boisterous clients who wanted them to bring them some cargo from some 'associates' in Baeumonde. Mal was haggling prices, Jayne was making a comment here and there, and Riddick had been silent throughout the whole exchange, looking terribly intimidating (the men kept sending him nervous glances) and had only spoken once, to call the bluff of one of the clients on the price, causing the man to go red in embarrassment and finally agree to Mal's price.

The captain looked at Riddick as if starting believe that he really _would_ be a good addition to his crew. If anything he'd kept Jayne entertained as the mercenary had spent most of the ride on the mule telling a silently uninterested Riddick the names of his guns and the stories of the men he'd killed and taken them away from (the stories of the killing had struck more interest in the murderer).

"So, that should conclude our meeting." The fat one announced, getting up and shaking their hands, looking somewhat relieved when Riddick wouldn't shake his hand. "C'mon cousin."

The clients left.

And it was a good thing too…

River gave a cry as the image of the Blue Hands and of Alliance Officials entered her mind…Officials that were heading towards the bar at that very instance.

"_Lil' Albatross_?" Mal sounded worried, and his voice was far away and distorted.

"What's wrong with _moonbrain NOW_?!" Jayne asked in exasperation and a little worry.

Her legs collapsed on her and she crumbled to the ground, holding her arms and shaking back and forth, leaving this plane behind, her fear isolating her from reality.

"Hands of Blue touch her skin, bathing it in red, and when they take her back to Hell, the girl's as good as dead."

From somewhere far away she felt a presence and someone grabbed her upper arm, jerking her up to her feet roughly, shaking her violently.

"_Hey_!" Mal called out in protest.

The fog around her disappeared and she felt _his_ presence, and realized he was speaking to her, anchoring her once more to reality and leading her back to the present.

"The only one taking you _anywhere_ is _me." _Riddick's goggled gaze quickly scanned her face before he was sure that she had returned from whatever madness had taken over. He turned to Mal. "We're leaving _now_."

Jayne opened his mouth to protest.

There was a commotion and everyone looked up as Shazza ran into the bar.

Mal stood rapidly, worry etched in his face as he reached her. "What's wrong? Shazza? _What's wrong_?"

She looked up at him, curls a mess and face red from overexertion. "Alliance officers are all over the marketplace with frozen images of River. We have ta leave _now_."

And that was when the Alliance Officials entered the bar, their eyes resting on River and Riddick almost immediately as they drew their weapons.

Riddick's whole body tensed like a predator readying to attack. "Too late."

* * *

**Hey everyone! I hope you liked the chapter and leave me a little review!**


	13. Ghost Touches

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Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN. REALLY. I DON'T. KEEP THOSE BIG GUYS WITH THE LAWSUITS AWAY FROMME!!

_Morgomir, Iridescent Twilight, Angelsgift00, Mach Farcon, AMM3485, kanna of the void, Birdy, Mahone-chic-89, marino head's lover_, _Dynin494, spedclass, Chaotic Jinx, _and _ShadowPhoenix17__**--thanks for the reviews!**_

This is IT! The LAST CHAPTER! It's somewhat short but it IS the last chapter.

Thank you everyone for reading up to this point and letting me know how much you liked it by reviewing. Your reviews meant a lot!

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"SIMON!"

Freezing at the sound of hurried footsteps towards the infirmary, Simon's blood went cold with dread. Something had happened. There was no other reason for Kaylee to have returned so early from the marketplace and to be screaming his name with such a frightened tone of voice.

"Kaylee?" Putting down the tools he'd been cleaning, Simon hurried out of the infirmary and met his sweetheart in the hallway. She looked big-eyed and terrified. "What is it?" He asked, placing his hands on her trembling shoulders. "Where's Shazza? What happened?"

"Alliance…officials!" She panted out, bending over, clearly out of breath. "In the marketplace! They had images of River!"

Cursing fluently in Chinese, Simon hated the Alliance more now than he ever had. Why wouldn't they leave his sister alone? Why couldn't they just let her try and live her life?

"Shazza went to warn Mal and the others." Kaylee straightened once more. "I'm going to warm up the engines so we can take off the moment they come here. Get the infirmary ready in case they need it!"

Simon nodded, giving Kaylee's shoulders a squeeze and hurrying to the infirmary once more as she took off towards the engine room as fast as a bullet.

* * *

It all seemed to happen in slow-motion.

One second they'd been trying to leave the bar, the next the officers had entered and seen them, drawing their weapons as they realized that their prey was inside--and the next all hell broke loose.

Dodging the tranquilizer darts whizzing past her, River grabbed the nose of the still warm gun and jerked it out of the officer's hands. With a quick maneuver she'd brought the metal _hard_ against his head, sending him falling to the ground, his own blood staining his weapon.

He was unconscious yet not dead. She didn't want to kill anymore, didn't want to feel the rush of satisfaction and pleasure she felt from _them_ whenever they reviewed her battle-scenes and gloated on their success of the perfect weapon.

Flipping the gun in the air, she caught it by the handle and turned, firing the last dart into the neck of the official rushing her from behind. He clutched at his neck, pulling the dart from his own skin, before his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground.

River's gaze went quickly on how her friends and family were doing.

Riddick had opted not to use any guns and now had his shivs out as he faced two officials who'd recognized him and were focusing their attentions on him. With a fluid movement he dodged the tranquilizers and brought his shiv up and across the first official's throat in the mocking shape of a cross.

Screaming, the official clutched his bleeding throat and fell to his knees, while his enraged colleague lashed out at Riddick with fury.

The murderer easily dodged his attack and spun around, burying his shiv deep within the man's back and ripping it up in a clean slice, opening the man's back and slicing through part of his spine.

Mal was thrown back by a well-placed punch from the official whom he'd managed to unarm. They'd been managing to trade punches, both getting good shots and receiving some hits that would leave ugly bruises, but Mal had gotten distracted trying to make sure that Shazza was hiding and safe as he'd ordered her to, and had paid for it with the punch.

The official reached for his fallen gun and trained it on the captain of _Serenity_, ready to fire when a chair came down violently on his head, knocking him to the floor unconscious to reveal an angry looking Shazza behind him holding the remains of the chair.

"Woman!" Mal cursed in Chinese as he hurriedly got up, anger in his bruised face. "I told you ta hide until this was all over!"

"Now, if'n I'd done that, who'd be takin' care of _you?_" Shazza twirled around and brought the piece of wood in her hands violently against the face of the official that'd tried to sneak up on her. When the uniformed man fell to the ground screaming and clutching at his broken nose, she brought down the piece of wood on the back of his head and kicked his face when he was propelled forwards by the blow to the back of his head.

Jayne was in his element, trading shots with the officers all focusing on _him_. River could sense his desire to release a couple of his beloved grenades in their direction but wasn't sure how much damage he'd sustain from the explosion, so he was just contented using Vera on the Alliance 'scum'.

Zoë appeared from where she'd been keeping an eye on the patrons in the bar and kicked over a table, using it as a shield so she could shoot at the officials streaming into the bar, drawn by the sounds of war that came from within.

Satisfied that everyone was keeping up on their own, River returned her full attention on the official that'd grabbed her from behind and was forcing her arms behind her back.

Standing on one foot and shaking her other experimentally, she closed her eyes and brought her leg back _hard_, the sole of her shoe connecting with the back of his head. His grip on her loosened as he cried out at the unexpected pain, and River tore loose from him, twirling around before digging her fingers into a certain pressure point in his body that caused the official to go tense, eyes wide in horror as he lost all control of his body and collapsed on the ground.

Spinning around, she delivered a kick to the official to her right, sending him twirling in the air. The young woman nearly slipped, and looked down at the sticky red substance on the ground, and quickly traced it to its source--Riddick's sliced-neck victim, who was dead, lying in a pool of his own blood, hands still clasped around his neck.

By now the other patrons of the bar had happily joined the fight, beating up whatever uniformed man they could find. Pandemonium broke loose as the officials were too busy fighting for their lives to focus on River and those with her.

Sensing an odd surge of power, River looked up at the eyes of the statue of the naked woman that lay in a suggestive position above the bar. She shivered when she felt the connection, felt that sensation of being watched intently, the one she'd had when training in the Academy.

There had to be a camera hidden in that statue.

A hand clasped around River's, breaking the connection, and she looked up into dark goggles before nodding. They dashed madly towards the door, slipping through the angry mob, with the crew of _Serenity_ close behind as they broke out of the bar and started down the street, mingling in with the crowds in time for a larger group of Alliance Officials to race passed them and into the bar.

"They're like _gorram ANTS_!" Jayne announced and they were off again, heading towards _Serenity_, who was docked not too far away in case something like this happened.

As they drew near they saw Kaylee standing by the open cargo door, looking around at the crowds with worry. Her brown eyes fell on them and her face lit up with relief as she hurriedly motioned for them to get in.

"Hurry up!" She herded them inside and slammed her hand against the lever to close the cargo door before turning to them. "Are you all right? Was anyone hurt?"

"Mal." Everyone said.

The captain glared at them.

"_Mei-Mei_!" Simon flew towards his sister, ignoring the others as he hugged her to his chest. "I was so worried! Are you--?"

"Busy _Ge-Ge_, must form wings and fly!" River gave him a kiss and pushed away, hurrying up towards the cockpit. She could feel the Alliance Officials realizing that she was no longer in the bar.

They needed to be off the ground and out of Atmo.

_Now_.

* * *

"She has improved during the time she's been MIA." A shadowed person announced from where he sat, watching the holographic image of the bar on New Mecca and the spectacular fight that'd occurred there.

While most of the crew of Serenity had proven themselves capable of going against Alliance officials and leaving without many injuries, the two that stood out were the Operative-killer Riddick, and beautiful, young, deceptively innocent-looking River Tam.

He looked at the man who'd been a thorn in his side ever since he'd been young. Arrogant from birth it would seem, Riddick, the killer of unknown nationality with his infamous goggles was now fully grown, a man in his prime, like a Sabertooth in the early days of Earth-That-Was. Riddick was a problem that was going to have to be dealt with rapidly. His connection to River Tam was not going to be tolerated.

And River…

The prodigy of the Academy--the Academy that'd been closed by the Alliance since it hadn't been able to bring back their star pupil, and hadn't been able to at least produce another student with a _sixth_ of her abilities or promise. Too many children had died or fallen into vegetative states after the same procedures given to River Tam had been given to them, and their parents were beginning to cry out for an 'investigation' on what had happened to their children.

He shook his head. The others hadn't been able to compare with her. They were mere fragile, _pathetic_ copies, while she was the true original. The only success, and what a success she'd been.

The woman-child moved with unnatural grace and fluidity, reading her attackers and able to block their moves or easily get out of whatever they managed to do to her. She was a creature of fascination to him, an object of awe.

While he hadn't been a part of the Academy, he'd known of what was being done to her and of her promise. He'd followed her sessions closely, studied her up, and had even visited her once or twice; watching her training and watching her grow into the person she was thanks to the Academy and his own personal funding. He hadn't cared about the others, but "R. Tam" had caught his eye from the moment she'd enrolled in the Academy as a young girl.

He'd been on a visit viewing the Academy and had stumbled upon a young girl talking back to her professor, correcting her so professionally and so sure he knew that she was going to be important one day.

And when he'd realized that she'd been selected to be enrolled in the special, secret studies of the Academy, he'd known he had to be a part of the process. And now, as he watched her easily disarm and use the officials' weapons against them, he felt pride burn deep within his chest.

The image-River stopped fighting and suddenly looked up straight at him.

He froze the image and stood, going to her and tracing his hand down her jaw in reverence. "You can't run forever, little River."

* * *

"Yes, I _can_." Scrubbing her palm against the skin of her jaw roughly to try and remove the sensation of his ghost-touch, River sat in the cockpit. She'd been for a year and eight months without feeling any connection with him, yet the eyes of the whore's statue in New Mecca had somehow reestablished it.

She didn't have a face to go with this connection, but she'd always had it and hated it, hated the violation of her personal thoughts and life.

"They say talking you yourself isn't a sign of insanity." Riddick announced as he strolled into the cockpit and collapsed onto the co-pilot seat as if he owned it. "It's when you start _answering_ yourself that you should be worried."

She watched him thoughtfully as she continued to pilot _Serenity_. They'd left orbit and were now cruising in the black, destination Beaumonde. Everyone had gotten over the adrenaline of the fight and were going about doing their work about the ship. "This girl will never be normal."

He didn't look at her, goggles on the endless space around them. "Neither will this man."

She frowned darkly at him; didn't he realize that she was being serious? "There will be more trouble. There will not be any peace."

"Would be boring if there _were_ any." He finally looked at her. "You're mine, River, not getting out of that."

She laughed softly, shaking her head. She could sense the trouble in the near-future, and although the feeling of those ghost fingers against her jaw still burnt her skin, she ignored it. Life wasn't going to be easy, she'd always known that, but she wasn't alone anymore. She had _Serenity_, her brother, the crew, and most of all, she had Riddick.

The future couldn't bring her anything she couldn't fight with them at her side.

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**Wow…It's OVER…how sad. Oh well, thank you everyone who stayed true to this story and encouraged me to finish it! I left a lot of my stories on HIATUS to finish this and I think it was worth it.**

**Thank you once again from Raia and I.**

**Shadowglove**


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